The Amory Panthers will head out to square off against the Nettleton Tigers at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Amory put up the most runs they have all season on Thursday. They blew past Shannon 18-8. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Panthers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Janiya Cockerham was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Cockerham was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in two of her five plate appearances. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in February.
In other batting news, Amory got a massive performance out of Ella Gray, who scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. What's more, Gray posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in February of 2024. Mak McAlester also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
East Webster typically has all the answers at home, but on Thursday Nettleton proved too difficult a challenge. They put the hurt on the Wolverines with a sharp 16-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won 11 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Bailey Payne spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on one hit. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in 11 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Zion Seals was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Josie Smith was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Nettleton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .424. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Webster only posted a batting average of .100.
Nettleton's win was their 13th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 20-2-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Amory, they moved to 12-10 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
Amory beat Nettleton 10-5 in their previous meeting back in March of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
