The DeSoto Central Jaguars will take on the East Central Hornets in a tournament on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

East Central will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: DeSoto Central extended their winning streak to seven on Thursday. The Jaguars were the clear victors by a 20-2 margin over Southaven. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Jaguars considering their one-run performance the contest before.

Lucy Gaffney

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DeSoto Central let Lucy Gaffney and Hanna McCain run wild. Gaffney went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one double, while McCain went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs. Those three RBI gave Gaffney a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Katelyn Short, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.

DeSoto Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .710. That’s the best OBP they’ve posted all season.

Meanwhile, East Central faced Ocean Springs in a battle between two of the state’s top teams on Friday. The Hornets blew past the Greyhounds 13-1. With that victory, the Hornets brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.

Destiny Tolbert looked comfortable as she tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits. She has been consistent: she hasn’t given up more than two walks any time she’s pitched this season.

On the hitting side, East Central got a massive performance out of Abby Danis, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Lizzy Kennedy was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, one double, and one RBI.

East Central’s win bumped their record up to 9-3. As for DeSoto Central, their victory bumped their record up to 7-0.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. DeSoto Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it’s not like East Central struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

DeSoto Central was able to grind out a solid win over East Central in their previous matchup back in March of 2017, winning 8-4. Do the Jaguars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hornets turn the tables on them? We’ll have the answer soon enough.