Central Academy hasn't had much luck against Parkwood recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Central Academy Cougars will look to defend their home field against the Parkwood Wolf Pack at 6:00 p.m. Central Academy knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past three matches -- so hopefully Parkwood likes a good challenge.
Central Academy is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victor by an 18-1 margin over Monroe on Tuesday. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by ten runs or more this season.
Carys Thomas
| 03/18/25 vs Monroe | 1 |
| 03/13/25 @ Forest Hills | 0 |
| 03/11/25 vs Piedmont | 1 |
Carys Thomas made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Darby Burnett was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024. Siena Crawford was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Central Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Parkwood was able to grind out a solid win over Cuthbertson on Wednesday, taking the game 4-1.
Chloe Purgason spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season.
On the hitting side, Parkwood saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Geneva Yow, who went 3-for-4 with one RBI. Another was Brinley Parker, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Central Academy is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. Parkwood's victory bumped their record up to 3-5.
Parkwood's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Central Academy has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Parkwood, though, as they've been averaging 9.4 hits. Given Central Academy's sizable advantage in that area, Parkwood will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
