A feisty cat fight will be fought as Northwest Rankin Cougars face off against Hernando Tigers at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Northwest Rankin will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
On Tuesday, Northwest Rankin earned an 11-8 win over Vancleave.
Dalton Pixley looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in April of 2024.
Jackson Meehan
| 03/11/25 @ Vancleave | 3 |
| 03/19/24 @ Petal | 2 |
| 03/01/25 vs Calera | 1 |
| 02/22/25 vs Hillcrest | 1 |
| 03/06/24 @ Oxford | 1 |
On the hitting side, Jackson Meehan and Gavin Phillipson did most of the damage at the plate: Meehan scored two runs and stole Three bases. while going 1-for-3, while Phillipson scored two runs and stole Three bases. while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance gave Meehan a new career-high in stolen bases. Eli Ladner was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Northwest Rankin kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Hernando suffered their closest defeat since February 22nd on Tuesday. They fell just short of Grenada by a score of 6-4. The Tigers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Hernando also got a good showing from Coen McKnight, who pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits.
At the plate, Luke Romine made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Preston Johnson, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Hernando's loss dropped their record down to 6-8. As for Northwest Rankin, they picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 6-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Northwest Rankin has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hernando struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Northwest Rankin couldn't quite get it done against Hernando when the teams last played back in February of 2024 as they fell 10-6. Can Northwest Rankin avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
