The McNairy Central Bobcats will be taking part in a tournament against the Itawamba Agricultural Indians at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are still undefeated (McNairy Central has three wins , while Itawamba Agricultural has 14 dating back to last season).
On Thursday, McNairy Central was able to grind out a solid win over Milan, taking the game 5-2. That's two games straight that the Bobcats have won by exactly three runs.
Kenli Bingham spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 13 Ks. What's more, she gave up only zero walks, the fewest she's had since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Bailee Shelton was incredible, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and two RBI. Chanley Steele was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Itawamba Agricultural put their dominant pitcher on display in the team's third consecutive shutout on Friday. They blew past East Webster 6-0. Considering the Indians have won nine matchups by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
The result came thanks to Layla Owens's shutout, as she gave up just three hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Skylar Partlow, who scored three runs and stole Three bases. while going 2-for-5. That's the most stolen bases she has posted over her last 11 contests. Mia Martin also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Itawamba Agricultural kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Webster only managed four hits.
McNairy Central's record now sits at 3-0. As for Itawamba Agricultural, their record is now 13-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. McNairy Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Itawamba Agricultural struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
