Softball Preview: First Presbyterian Day Vikings vs. Piedmont Academy Cougars
First Presbyterian Day is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Piedmont Academy is on a six-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The First Presbyterian Day Vikings will host the Piedmont Academy Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
First Presbyterian Day's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past Brookstone 10-0. The Vikings might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 matchups by eight runs or more this season.
Gracyn Fuller was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Fuller was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Mallie Moughon and Addison Arnold did most of the damage at the plate: Moughon scored two runs while going 1-for-1, while Arnold scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Arnold is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last five games she's played dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Jessica Jones, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, after a string of 13 wins dating back to last season, Piedmont Academy's good fortune finally ran out on Tuesday. They took a 13-10 hit to the loss column at the hands of Tattnall Square Academy. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Cougars, who until this game were averaging 3.09 runs allowed.
Shaniyah Lane was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4. The last time her OBP was this high was back in October of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Marissa Holder, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI.
Even though they lost, Piedmont Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now hit at least 13 hits in five consecutive matches.
First Presbyterian Day's victory bumped their record up to 13-2. As for Piedmont Academy, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 10-1.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. First Presbyterian Day has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of 0. However, it's not like Piedmont Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
