Softball Game Preview: Jay County Patriots vs. Richmond Red Devils

The Jay County Patriots will head out to take on the Richmond Red Devils at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Jay County has seven straight victories, Richmond has 19 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Jay County proved they can win big on Saturday (they won by 19) and on Saturday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Madison-Grant, sneaking past 12-10. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Patriots, who until this game were averaging 2.9 runs allowed.

Jay County let Jozey Shimp and Brenna Ruble run wild. Shimp went 3-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and one double, while Ruble went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most hits Shimp has posted over her last 11 matches. Chloe Brown was another key player, going 1-for-4 with three runs and one double.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Jay County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Richmond's offense. They lost 17-0 to Knightstown on Thursday.

Richmond's defeat dropped their record down to 0-13. As for Jay County, their win bumped their record up to 18-2.

Everything went Jay County's way against Richmond in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Jay County made off with a 14-5 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.