Piedmont has gone a perfect 3-0 against Central Academy recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. A feisty cat fight will be fought as Piedmont Panthers challenge Central Academy Cougars at 6:00 p.m. Piedmont's pitching crew has only allowed two runs per game this season, so Central Academy's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Piedmont is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Cuthbertson just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They took a 7-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Cavaliers. The loss was the Panthers' first of the season.
Jailyn Thomas
| 03/07/25 vs Cuthbertson | 2 |
| 03/04/25 vs Monroe | 1 |
| 04/25/24 vs West Stanly | 1 |
| 04/15/24 @ Forest Hills | 1 |
| 04/08/24 vs Monroe | 1 |
Jailyn Thomas was huge no matter where she played even without the win. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over 6.1 innings while giving up five earned runs off six hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in doubles.
Thomas wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Aly Mills, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Mills also put up an RBI, which was her first of the season. Another was Tara Deese, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Central Academy). Everything went their way against Anson on Tuesday as Central Academy made off with a 17-0 victory. With that win, the Cougars brought their scoring average up to 8.8 runs per game.
Like Piedmont, Central Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Addison Crawford. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. With that strong performance, Crawford is now averaging an impressive 6.2 strikeouts per game. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kieryn Peters, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Marissa Easterly was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-5.
Central Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Having lost for the first time this season, Piedmont fell to 4-1. As for Central Academy, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Piedmont hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .417. However, it's not like Central Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .388. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Piedmont skirted past Central Academy 1-0 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Piedmont since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
