Oxford is 9-1 against Center Hill since April of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Chargers are taking a road trip to challenge the Mustangs at 2:00 p.m. Oxford will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
Oxford 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 Horn Lake on Friday. The Chargers blew past the Eagles 15-0. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Chargers considering their two-run performance the match before.
Sovient Taylor looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.
James Blackwood
| 04/11/25 vs Horn Lake | 5 |
| 02/28/25 vs Lafayette | 4 |
| 03/18/25 vs DeSoto Central | 3 |
| 03/07/25 @ Southaven | 3 |
| 03/11/25 @ Petal | 2 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on James Blackwood, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI, three runs, and one double. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Logan Dorrell also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Oxford always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .792. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Center Hill fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Grenada on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took an 11-6 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Chargers.
Mac Atkins was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits.
On the hitting side, Deshann Hannah made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Cooper McCool, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Oxford's record is now 14-10. As for Center Hill, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-12.
Everything went Oxford's way against Center Hill when the teams last played back in February of 2024, as Oxford made off with a 14-1 win. Will the Chargers repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
