Softball Game Preview: West Cabarrus Wolverines vs. Hickory Ridge Ragin' Bulls

West Cabarrus is 1-7 against Hickory Ridge since March of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Wolverines will square off against the Ragin' Bulls at 6:00 p.m. West Cabarrus has given up an average of 12.3 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

West Cabarrus is headed into Friday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their eighth straight game on Tuesday. They came up short against A.L. Brown, falling 19-2.

West Cabarrus saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cadyn Ready, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases and one run.

Hickory Ridge's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to Lake Norman on Thursday. The Ragin' Bulls walked away with a 10-7 win over A.L. Brown. The Ragin' Bulls haven't had any issues with the Wonders recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.

Embler Kristyn was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits. Kristyn was even better at the plate, firing off two home runs and six RBI while going 3-for-4. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March.

In other batting news, Hailey Faulkenberry was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March.

Hickory Ridge kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive matchups.

Hickory Ridge's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-3. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for West Cabarrus, their loss dropped their record down to 4-12.

West Cabarrus suffered a grim 12-3 defeat to Hickory Ridge in their previous matchup on April 4th. Can the Wolverines avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.