Gretna hasn't had much luck against Appomattox County recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Hawks will be playing in front of their home fans against the Raiders at 5:30 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Gretna took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They came out on top against William Campbell by a score of 5-2. The win was some much needed relief for the Hawks as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Alyssa Keesee was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI. That RBI marked the first that she has brought in this season.
In other batting news, Sophia Brooks was excellent, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That stolen base was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Kinsley Rigsby, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Appomattox County). They blew past Dan River 15-2 on Wednesday. The victory was familiar territory for the Raiders, who have now won four matchups in a row.
Like Gretna, Appomattox County also got a great game from a two-way player: Paisley Mann. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Mann was even better at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in June of 2024.
In other pitching news, Chloe Vaughan looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on MaKenzie Elliott, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024. Kaysen Kesler was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run.
Appomattox County was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .474. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Appomattox County's win was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-3. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Gretna, their win bumped their record up to 3-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Gretna has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Appomattox County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 12.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Gretna was able to grind out a solid victory over Appomattox County when the teams last played back in April, winning 5-2. Will the Hawks repeat their success, or do the Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
