Central is on a 19-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Saint James is on a nine-game streak of away wins (also dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. Central will host Saint James at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Central 2, Saint James 1.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Central picked up another tournament win on Wednesday. They blew past Dodgeville 17-1. The Red Devils might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 14 matches by six runs or more this season.
Kayla Storey looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Ashlyn Nixon was a standout: she went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those two runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Savannah Sevier, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .710. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Saint James was able to grind out a solid win over Pike Liberal Arts on Saturday, taking the game 5-2.
Ava Stanford was excellent, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaitlyn Hudson, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Saint James has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 31-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. Central's win bumped their record up to 23-3.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .363. However, it's not like Saint James struggles in that department as they've averaged .367. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Central came out on top in a nail-biter against Saint James in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 3-2. Does Central have another victory up their sleeve, or will Saint James turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
