Softball Game Preview: Epping Blue Devils vs. Raymond Rams

The Epping Blue Devils will head out to square off against the Raymond Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Newmarket hit Epping with a six-run seventh inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Blue Devils took a 10-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Mules. The Blue Devils have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Raymond came tearing into Tuesday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 win over the Blue Devils.

Dinkenesh Levesque made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sophie Huynh, who went 2-for-4 with three runs and one double. Paige Lemire also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.

Raymond pushed their record up to 6-3 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.0 runs over those games. As for Epping, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-5.

Raymond's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Epping has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .457. It's a different story for Raymond, though, as they've only averaged .351. Will they be able to contain Epping's hitters?

Epping couldn't quite finish off Raymond when the teams last played on Tuesday and fell 9-7. Can the Blue Devils avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.