East Central will take on Baker at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. East Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
East Central is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Caledonia, who was ranked 18th at the time (East Central was ranked 12th). The Hornets blew past the Cavaliers 13-3 on Saturday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Hornets considering their two-run performance the contest before.
Abby Danis made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and two RBI.
Chloe Sheppard
| 04/12/25 vs Caledonia | 4 |
| 03/25/25 vs Gautier | 3 |
| 03/21/25 vs Wayne County | 3 |
| 02/26/24 vs Bryant | 3 |
| 03/14/25 vs St. Martin | 2 |
In other batting news, Chloe Sheppard was incredible, scoring four runs while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Breyona Tanner, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
East Central hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in 13 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Baker came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.9 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Hurricanes by a score of 6-1.
Katlyn Cone spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Baker's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Nola Havard, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
East Central is on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 16 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Baker, their win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 28-11.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. East Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .345. However, it's not like Baker struggles in that department as they've averaged .339. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
East Central came out on top in a nail-biter against Baker when the teams last played back in March, sneaking past 4-3. Does East Central have another victory up their sleeve, or will Baker turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
