Hayward is 1-9 against Piedmont since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. Hayward will look to defend their home field against Piedmont at 4:00 p.m. Hayward is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Hayward took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They put the hurt on Tennyson with a sharp 14-5 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Farmers considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Riley Norman made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Norman was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Hayward got a massive performance out of Eliana Sega, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Charlotte May was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Hayward always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .676. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Piedmont came up short against Mt. Eden on Tuesday, falling 12-1. The Highlanders have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Piedmont saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sophena Tuli, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one double and one RBI. That's the most hits Tuli has posted since back in April of 2024.
Hayward's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for Piedmont, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hayward has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Piedmont struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
