Softball Game Preview: Rock Hill Redmen vs. Dawson-Bryant Hornets

The Rock Hill Redmen will venture away from home to face off against the Dawson-Bryant Hornets at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The last three games Rock Hill has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

On Wednesday, Rock Hill didn't have quite enough to beat Portsmouth and fell 7-6.

Meanwhile, Dawson-Bryant waltzed into their contest on Wednesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They blew past the Fighting Tigers 11-4. Considering the Hornets have won five matches by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.

Abbie Deeds was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than ten strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in April of 2024.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rylee Black, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and one double. That home run was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kasey Vanderhoof, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.

Dawson-Bryant's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-3. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Rock Hill, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-7 record this season.

Rock Hill beat Dawson-Bryant 4-1 when the teams last played two weeks ago. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Redmen since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.