Piedmont and South Stanly are an even 3-3 against one another since March of 2017, but likely not for long. The Piedmont Panthers will welcome the South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Piedmont 1.8, South Stanly 3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Piedmont barely beat Central Academy the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Piedmont put the hurt on Central Academy with a sharp 17-1 victory on Tuesday. Considering the Panthers have won three matches by more than 15 runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Jailyn Thomas was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI and one double.
Tara Deese
| 03/11/25 @ Central Academy | 3 |
| 02/26/25 vs Lake Norman | 2 |
| 04/08/24 @ Monroe | 2 |
| 03/25/24 @ West Stanly | 2 |
| 03/18/24 vs Metrolina Christian Academy | 2 |
In other batting news, Tara Deese was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Sarah Belk, who scored three runs while going 3-for-5.
Piedmont 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 got at least nine hits in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, South Stanly didn't have quite enough to beat Porter Ridge on Friday and fell 9-8. That's two games in a row now that the Rowdy Rebel Bulls have lost by just one run.
Like Piedmont, South Stanly also got a great game from a two-way player: Kinsley Tyson. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and five unearned) runs off 13 hits (and only one walk). Tyson was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Maddie Tucker made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 2-for-3. Coco Tyson was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
This is the second loss in a row for South Stanly and nudges their season record down to 3-2. Even worse, they were so close so many times: the defeats came by an average of only one runs. As for Piedmont, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Piedmont hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .423. However, it's not like South Stanly struggles in that department as they've averaged .439. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Piedmont came up short against South Stanly when the teams last played back in March of 2024, falling 6-3. Will Piedmont have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
