The Ledford Panthers will square off against the Rockingham County Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Ledford 3.4, Rockingham County 1.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Ledford is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They walked away with a 6-2 win over Ashe County.
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. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
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. Alana Herrera was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Ledford hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least two batters in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Rockingham County waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with 19 straight wins... but they left with 20. They never let the Wildcats get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won 17 contests by nine runs or more so far this season.
Ava Grace Pruitt made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Pruitt was also big at the plate, 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.
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. The team also got some help courtesy of Presley Rothe, who went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Rockingham County's win was their 11th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-1. The home victories 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 match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Ledford has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .481. However, it's not like Rockingham County struggles in that department as they've averaged .517. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ledford came up short against Rockingham County in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, falling 8-4. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
