Brandon is 2-8 against Northwest Rankin since April of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Bulldogs will square off against the Cougars at 6:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Brandon comes in on five and Northwest Rankin on three.
Brandon is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They beat Ocean Springs by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 7-6.
Dakota Davis made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching eight innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off eight hits. Davis was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hannah Jo Sullivan, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March. Lila Harrison was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, while Northwest Rankin put up plenty of runs on Friday, the same can't be said for St. Martin. The Cougars were the clear victors by a 14-0 margin over the Yellow Jackets. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won 15 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Bella Pierce looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched.
At the plate, Northwest Rankin got a massive performance out of Hannah Sullivan, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Smith, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
Northwest Rankin lost a few balls and finished the game with five home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Brandon's victory bumped their record up to 22-4. As for Northwest Rankin, their win bumped their record up to 26-4.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Brandon has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .448. However, it's not like Northwest Rankin struggles in that department as they've averaged .441. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Brandon beat Northwest Rankin 5-2 in their previous matchup on April 12th. Will the Bulldogs repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
