Northwest Rankin waltzed into their match on Thursday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They put the hurt on the Meridian Wildcats with a sharp 15-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won ten games by six runs or more so far this season.
Bella Pierce looked comfortable as she struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two hits in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Northwest Rankin let Brooke Smith and Hannah Sullivan run wild. Smith scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3, while Sullivan scored two runs while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave Sullivan a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Tavia Archie, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
Cougars
| 03/27/25 @ Meridian | 15-1 |
| 03/27/25 @ Meridian | 18-0 |
| 03/01/25 @ Clinton | 2-1 |
| 02/25/25 @ West Lauderdale | 3-1 |
| 02/13/25 @ North Pike | 14-0 |
| + 13 more games |
Northwest Rankin's win was their 18th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-2. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.2 runs over those games. As for Meridian, they have been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last nine contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-9 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Northwest Rankin will venture away from home to face off against Lewisburg at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Northwest Rankin's pitchers better be ready for this one: Lewisburg has averaged an impressive 6.9 runs per game this season. As for Meridian, they are taking a road trip to take on Forrest County Agricultural at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Meridian is facing Forrest County Agricultural at the right time seeing as Forrest County Agricultural is stuck on a seven-game losing streak.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
