Northwest Rankin has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Brandon Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Brandon's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Thursday: Northwest Rankin had not allowed a single run the last four times they've hit the field. Northwest Rankin's pitcher stepped up to hand Meridian a 12-0 shutout on Tuesday.
Chloe Miller was incredible, going 3-for-3 with a home run, five RBI, and two runs. Reese Collier was another key contributor, going 1-for-3 with a home run.
Meanwhile, Brandon got the win against Oak Grove on Tuesday by a conclusive 13-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for Brandon.
Dakota Davis made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits. Davis has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in four consecutive pitching appearances. Davis was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with five RBI, a run, and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hannah Jo Sullivan, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Shelbi Boddy, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Northwest Rankin pushed their record up to 25-0 with that victory, which was their 31st straight at home dating back to last season. As for Brandon, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 13-10 record this season.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Northwest Rankin has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .468. However, it's not like Brandon struggles in that department as they've averaged .455. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Northwest Rankin took their win against Brandon in their previous matchup on April 1st by a conclusive 10-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Northwest Rankin since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
