Softball Game Preview: Seventy-First Falcons vs. Cape Fear Colts

Seventy-First hasn't had much luck against Cape Fear recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Falcons will square off against the Colts at 5:00 p.m. Seventy-First has given up an average of 16.1 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Seventy-First is headed into Thursday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Tuesday. They came up short against Gray's Creek, falling 18-0.

Meanwhile, Cape Fear had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 9-3 margin over the Golden Falcons. The result was nothing new for the Colts, who have now won nine contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Karalina Tomasic spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on nine hits.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Allie Dawson, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5. Another player making a difference was McKinley Kolasa, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.

Dawson wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Cape Fear 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 ten hits in four consecutive games.

Cape Fear's victory was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-3. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 10.5 runs this season. As for Seventy-First, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-9.

Seventy-First might still be hurting after the 26-0 loss they got from Cape Fear when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Falcons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.