Softball Game Preview: Richland Center Hornets vs. River Valley Blackhawks

Richland Center is 1-9 against River Valley since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Hornets will take on the Blackhawks at 5:00 p.m. River Valley took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Richland Center, who comes in off a win.

Richland Center came out on top against Lancaster on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run third inning. The Hornets walked away with an 8-4 victory over the Flying Arrows.

Kyree Fischer

Batters Struck Out

05/06/25 @ Lancaster	13
05/03/25 vs Auburndale	10
05/03/25 vs Seneca	11
05/01/25 @ Wauzeka-Steuben	13
04/29/25 vs Platteville	15
+ 8 more games

Kyree Fischer spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on two hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 13 consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Chloe Darling, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Regan Schoepp was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run.

Richland Center kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.

Meanwhile, River Valley was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They came up short against Dodgeville, falling 9-1.

Richland Center's win ended a 13-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 7-7. As for River Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-10.

Richland Center beat River Valley 5-0 in their previous matchup back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.