The East Webster Wolverines will face off against the Vardaman Rams at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
East Webster's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Kemper County as they made off with a 12-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Wolverines in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won six in a row.
Cayden Daily made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Daily was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Colton Kirkman was a standout: he went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases and two runs. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Brody Gerrish, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with four stolen bases and two runs.
16 must be Vardaman's lucky number: they beat West Tallahatchie with that score not once but twice on Tuesday. The Rams put the hurt on the Choctaws with a sharp 16-0 win. That 16-run margin sets a new team best for the Rams this season.
Like East Webster, Vardaman also got a great game from a two-way player: Landon Love. He pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Love was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That double was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Vardaman got a big performance out of Grant Parker, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Cooper Easley, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
Vardaman always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .792. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
East Webster's victory bumped their record up to 12-5. As for Vardaman, their win bumped their record up to 9-1.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. East Webster has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .474. However, it's not like Vardaman struggles in that department as they've averaged .572. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went East Webster's way against Vardaman in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, as East Webster made off with an 11-1 victory. Do the Wolverines have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
