The Lakeland Preparatory Lions will head out on the road to square off against the Ripley Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lakeland Preparatory is coming into the game hot, having won their last 12 games.
Lakeland Preparatory had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 15-run drubbing they dealt Memphis Business Academy on Tuesday. The Lions never let the Execs get on the board and left with a 15-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Lions, who have now won 12 contests by ten runs or more so far this season.
Bryce Thomas
| 04/22/25 vs Memphis Business Academy | 7 |
| 04/17/25 @ Haywood | 4 |
| 04/08/25 vs KIPP Collegiate | 5 |
| 03/27/25 vs Madison | 4 |
| 03/19/25 vs Hardin County | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
Bryce Thomas looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March.
At the plate, Lakeland Preparatory let Peeler Easton and Wyatt Helton run wild. Easton went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one double, while Helton went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Brecken Boyd also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Lakeland Preparatory always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Memphis Business Academy only posted an OBP of .200.
Meanwhile, Ripley came up short against Milan on Tuesday, falling 9-1. The loss continues a trend for the Tigers in their meetings with the Bulldogs: they've now lost three in a row.
Ripley saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alex Caldwell, who went 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
Lakeland Preparatory pushed their record up to 19-2 with the victory, which was their 13th straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.1 runs over those games. As for Ripley, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-13.
Ripley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lakeland Preparatory hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .340. It's a different story for Ripley, though, as they've only averaged .221. Will they be able to contain Lakeland Preparatory's hitters?
Lakeland Preparatory suffered a grim 11-2 defeat to Ripley when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can the Lions avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
