The Oak Grove Grizzlies will challenge the Ledford Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
Oak Grove took a six-run defeat the last time they faced off against North Davidson, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Oak Grove narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past North Davidson 3-1.
Mary Peyton Hodge
| 03/21/25 vs North Davidson | 17 |
| 03/11/25 @ North Stanly | 14 |
| 05/09/24 vs Enka | 14 |
| 04/25/24 @ Central Davidson | 14 |
| 04/01/24 vs West Stanly | 14 |
Mary Peyton Hodge spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up 17 Ks. Those 17 strikeouts gave her a new career-high.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Chloe Smith, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024. Isabelle Lawrence was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Ledford never let their opponents score on Friday. They put the hurt on Montgomery Central with a sharp 10-0 win. Considering the Panthers have won five matchups by more than nine runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Montgomery Central's batters probably weren't too happy with Leah Leonard, who pitched a no hitter (she gave up a single walk). Leonard has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Ledford got a massive performance out of Hailey Hoots, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Hoots also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Alana Herrera, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
Ledford always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .536. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Montgomery Central only posted an OBP of .062.
Ledford pushed their record up to 7-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Oak Grove, the victory got them back to even at 5-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Oak Grove has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ledford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
