The Lafayette Commodores will head out on the road to take on the Petal Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Saturday, Lafayette was able to grind out a solid win over Center Hill, taking the game 7-2. The victory continues a trend for the Commodores in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won seven in a row.
Ian Robinson looked comfortable as he pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
Easton Thompson
| 03/08/25 @ Center Hill | 2 |
| 03/01/25 vs Oxford | 1 |
| 02/22/25 vs Lake Cormorant | 1 |
| 02/18/25 vs South Pontotoc | 1 |
At the plate, Easton Thompson was excellent, scoring a run and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in stolen bases. Collin Waldrip was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Petal got themselves on the board against Harrison Central on Thursday, but Harrison Central never followed suit. They blew past the Red Rebels 7-0. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won three contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Kaleb Dillon looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Nathan Garner and Easton Giger did most of the damage at the plate: Garner went 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run, while Giger scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. That triple was Garner's first of the season. Another player making a difference was John Lindsey, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Petal is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. Lafayette's record now sits at 7-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Lafayette has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Petal struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Lafayette couldn't quite finish off Petal when the teams last played back in March of 2023 and fell 5-3. Can Lafayette avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
