The Piedmont Panthers will venture away from home to face off against the Hickory Ridge Ragin' Bulls at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Piedmont's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They put the hurt on Monroe with a sharp 18-0 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Panthers.
Lilli Leopold was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (four). She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emalie Jackson, who scored two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Abbie Evans also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Piedmont was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .688. They are 7-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Hickory Ridge entered their tilt with Cox Mill on Tuesday with six consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with seven. They blew past the Chargers 18-1. That 17 run margin sets a new team best for the Ragin' Bulls this season.
Victoria Porretta was a standout: she scored three runs while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Elizabeth Baker, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Hickory Ridge pushed their record up to 8-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Piedmont, their record now sits at 9-4.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Piedmont has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .493. However, it's not like Hickory Ridge struggles in that department as they've averaged .453. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Piedmont was able to grind out a solid win over Hickory Ridge in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 5-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Piedmont since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
