South Rowan is 2-8 against Carson since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The South Rowan Raiders will host the Carson Cougars at 5:30 p.m. The last three games South Rowan has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
South Rowan took a 14-run defeat the last time they faced off against Central Cabarrus, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. South Rowan narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Central Cabarrus 10-9. That's two games straight that the Raiders have won by just one run.
Carmen Thomas was a standout: she went 1-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. That stolen base was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Cressley Patterson, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Carson came into Wednesday's match having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They put the hurt on Robinson with a sharp 13-1 win on Wednesday.
Caylee Snow tossed a big game, striking out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.2 strikeouts per game.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Emma Woodlief, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Leah Troutman was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
Carson kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
South Rowan's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-3. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Carson, their win was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 2-4.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. South Rowan hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .354. However, it's not like Carson struggles in that department as they've averaged .328. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went South Rowan's way against Carson in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as South Rowan made off with an 11-1 victory. Does South Rowan have another victory up their sleeve, or will Carson turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
