The Yazoo County Panthers will face off against the Cleveland Central Wolves at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Yazoo County is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They never let Ridgeland get on the board and left with a 15-0 win on Monday. The game snapped a strange streak: the last five times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.
Lilly Andrews made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). That's the first time she hasn't allowed a single hit since back in April of 2024. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 3-for-3. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Minely Crozier, who fired off three home runs and four RBI while going 3-for-3. What's more, she posted three runs, the most she's had since back in March of 2024. Anna Kiley Leal was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
Yazoo County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ridgeland only posted an OBP of .182.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Central had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Monday. Everything went their way against Lake Cormorant as they made off with a 10-3 victory.
Taliyah Thomas was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those RBI marked the first that she brought in this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Katie Waldbieser, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Cleveland Central's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Yazoo County, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Yazoo County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .380. However, it's not like Cleveland Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .325. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
