Lewisburg has won four straight games at home, while Northwest Rankin has won four straight on the road dating back to last season, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. Lewisburg will welcome Northwest Rankin at 4:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Lewisburg 3.8, Northwest Rankin 1.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
While Lewisburg's victory against Northpoint Christian wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Lewisburg sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 win over Northpoint Christian on Thursday. The Patriots haven't had any issues with the Trojans recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Anna Etter was excellent, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last nine games. Lindey Willhite was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
Lewisburg hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Northwest Rankin faced off against Meridian on Thursday. Northwest Rankin was the clear victor by a 15-1 margin over Meridian. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten matchups by six runs or more 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 consistent : 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. Smith is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last eight games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Tavia Archie, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
Northwest Rankin has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-2 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. Lewisburg's victory bumped their record up to 13-7.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lewisburg hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .329. However, it's not like Northwest Rankin struggles in that department as they've averaged .363. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lewisburg might still be hurting after the 14-4 loss they got from Northwest Rankin in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can Lewisburg avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
