Rockingham County is 2-8 against McMichael since February of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Cougars will face off against the Phoenix at 6:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Rockingham County sitting on seven straight victories and McMichael on four.
Rockingham County proved they can win big on Friday (they won by 17) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Walkertown, sneaking past 3-1.
Ava Grace Pruitt spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Rockingham County saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Maci Hundly, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That's the most hits Hundly has posted since back in March. Bella Jones was another, going 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, McMichael made easy work of Morehead on Tuesday and carried off a 7-1 win. The Phoenix might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 16 games by six runs or more this season.
McMichael also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Lindsay Redmon gave up a run (which was unearned) on five hits and racked up 11 Ks.
On the hitting side, Ava Harris was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Olivia Wilson, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
McMichael hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in four consecutive matchups.
McMichael's victory bumped their record up to 19-3. As for Rockingham County, their win bumped their record up to 13-4.
Thursday'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 .340. However, it's not like McMichael struggles in that department as they've averaged .403. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rockingham County came out on top in a nail-biter against McMichael when the teams last played two weeks ago, sneaking past 2-1. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Phoenix turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
