Baseball Game Preview: McNairy Central Bobcats vs. Booneville Blue Devils

The McNairy Central Bobcats will be defending their home field for the first time this season when they go up against the Booneville Blue Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

McNairy Central's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Scotts Hill 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bobcats have posted against the Lions since May 3, 2019.

Ridge Rankin looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.

Case Stone

Hits (Career)

03/03/25 @ Scotts Hill	3
04/30/24 vs Jackson South Side	2
04/17/24 vs Jackson South Side	2
04/12/24 @ Jackson South Side	2
04/01/24 @ Jackson North Side	2

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Case Stone, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kendall Kiestler, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Booneville, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They were the clear victor by a 15-1 margin over Calhoun City on Monday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Blue Devils as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Clark Janzen made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He also tossed two walks, which is notable because Booneville is 2-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 0-6 otherwise. Janzen was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.

In other batting news, Booneville let Colin Flurry and Kylin Leslie run wild. Flurry scored three runs and stole Three bases. while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances, while Leslie scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-2. Those stolen bases were Flurry's first of the season. Jack Sandlin was another key player, scoring a run and stealing Three bases. while going 1-for-2.

McNairy Central might still be hurting after the 16-7 loss they got from Booneville when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Will McNairy Central have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.