The Piedmont Panthers will challenge the West Rowan Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Piedmont comes in on eight and West Rowan on five.
Piedmont is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Tuscola a 1-0 shutout. The one-run effort marked the Panthers' lowest-scoring match of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Jailyn Thomas
| 05/06/25 vs Tuscola | 17 |
| 05/02/25 vs West Stanly | 13 |
| 04/30/25 vs Central Academy | 6 |
| 04/15/25 vs Parkwood | 8 |
| 04/14/25 @ West Stanly | 11 |
| + 3 more games |
Tuscola's batters probably weren't too happy with Jailyn Thomas, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 17 Ks (she gave up a single walk). Thomas has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances.
Meanwhile, West Rowan made easy work of Central Davidson on Tuesday and carried off a 12-0 win. Considering the Falcons have won 11 games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
West Rowan let EA Nance and Raney Phelps run wild. Nance went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double, while Phelps went 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most runs Nance has posted since back in April. Taylor Keller was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: West Rowan kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 12 consecutive contests.
Piedmont pushed their record up to 20-5 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for West Rowan, their victory bumped their record up to 21-4.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Piedmont hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .389. However, it's not like West Rowan struggles in that department as they've averaged .348. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Piedmont might still be hurting after the 6-0 loss they got from West Rowan when the teams last played back in May of 2021. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
