The Rockingham County Cougars will venture away from home to square off against the Ledford Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Rockingham County is coming into the contest hot, having won their last 20 games.
Rockingham County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Eastern Guilford with a sharp 10-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won 17 matches by nine runs or more so far this season.
Ava Grace Pruitt was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April.
Kennidy Kirby
| 05/06/25 vs Eastern Guilford | 4 |
| 04/01/25 @ Ben L. Smith | 3 |
| 03/14/25 vs High Point Central | 3 |
| 03/12/25 @ Morehead | 3 |
| 05/10/24 vs Ledford | 3 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kennidy Kirby, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with five stolen bases, four runs, and two RBI. Those four runs gave her a new career-high. Presley Rothe was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Rockingham County was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .423. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Eastern Guilford only posted a batting average of .062.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Ledford, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They came out on top against Ashe County by a score of 6-2 on Tuesday.
Leah Leonard spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on six hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Ledford let Hailey Hoots and Emma Tesh run wild. Hoots went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Tesh went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Alana Herrera, who went 1-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Rockingham County's victory was their 11th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.5 runs on average over those games. As for Ledford, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-7 record this season.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Rockingham County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .448. However, it's not like Ledford struggles in that department as they've averaged .380. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rockingham County was able to grind out a solid victory over Ledford when the teams last played back in May of 2024, winning 8-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
