Softball Game Preview: Rye Cove Eagles vs. Thomas Walker Pioneers

Rye Cove has gone a perfect 10-0 against Thomas Walker recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Eagles will head out to challenge the Pioneers at 5:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Rye Cove has seven straight victories, Thomas Walker has 18 straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

On Wednesday, Rye Cove made easy work of Johnson County and carried off a 9-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won eight matches by six runs or more so far this season.

Kenzie Hood

Earned Runs

04/09/25 vs Johnson County	1
03/29/25 vs Unaka	1
03/25/25 @ Virginia High	0

Kenzie Hood made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Harlee Cress, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Sara Byrd, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-1.

Rye Cove was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .533. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .364 or higher in seven consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Thomas Walker lost 17-2 to Jenkins on Friday.

Rye Cove pushed their record up to 9-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Thomas Walker, their loss dropped their record down to 0-2.

Rye Cove took their victory against Thomas Walker in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 16-0 score. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pioneers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.