The West Rowan Falcons are taking a road trip to take on the Piedmont Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as West Rowan comes in on five and Piedmont on eight.
West Rowan is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Central Davidson a 12-0 shutout. Considering the Falcons have won 11 matchups by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
West Rowan let EA Nance and Raney Phelps run wild. Nance went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double, while Phelps went 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most runs Nance has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Riley Hagaas, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: West Rowan kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 12 consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Piedmont had just enough and edged out Tuscola 1-0 on Tuesday. The one-run effort marked the Panthers' lowest-scoring game of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Tuscola's batters probably weren't too happy with Jailyn Thomas, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 17 Ks (she gave up a single walk). Thomas has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances.
Piedmont's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-5. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for West Rowan, their victory bumped their record up to 21-4.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. West Rowan hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. However, it's not like Piedmont struggles in that department as they've averaged .389. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went West Rowan's way against Piedmont in their previous meeting back in May of 2021, as West Rowan made off with a 6-0 win. Do the Falcons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
