Softball Preview: Randolph-Henry Statesmen vs. Rustburg Red Devils
The Randolph-Henry Statesmen will be playing at home against the Rustburg Red Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Rustburg is hoping to do on Monday what Cumberland couldn't on Thursday: put an end to Randolph-Henry's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Randolph-Henry was the clear victor by an 11-1 margin over Cumberland. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Randolph-Henry considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
Danner Allen made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and not a single walk). Allen has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings every time she's pitched this season. Allen was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Kendall Snead and Kalia Troxler did most of the damage at the plate: Snead scored two runs while going 2-for-4, while Troxler scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Sydney Hamlett was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Rustburg scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Friday. They blew past Brookville 13-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for Rustburg.
Carly Mirakian and Jenna Bryant did most of the damage at the plate: Mirakian went 3-for-4 with five RBI, a run, and a double, while Bryant scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Sarah Dinwiddie, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Randolph-Henry's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-2. As for Rustburg, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-3 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Randolph-Henry has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 14.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Rustburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Randolph-Henry skirted past Rustburg 2-0 in their previous meeting on Monday. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Rustburg's Erin Coates, who didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over nine innings pitched. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Randolph-Henry still be able to contain Coates? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
