Softball Game Preview: Leon Lions vs. Rickards Raiders

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Previous Games

04/18/24 - Away	15-3 W
02/22/24 - Home	13-2 W
04/12/23 - Away	2-3 L
03/23/23 - Home	6-2 W
04/18/22 - Away	15-1 W
+ 5 more games

Leon has gone 9-1 against Rickards recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Leon Lions will welcome the Rickards Raiders at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Leon will bounce into Monday's match after beating Lincoln, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Leon sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 12-11 win over Lincoln on Thursday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Lions.

Jailyn Nickeo was a standout: she went 2-for-5 with four RBI and one run. Trinity Williams was another key player, going 3-for-5 with three RBI.

Leon hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lincoln struck out nine times.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Rickards, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They walked away with a 9-6 victory over Hamilton County on Friday.

Shanyia Holmes spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.

At the plate, Rickards got a massive performance out of Zamiah Palmer, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Palmer is also crushing it when it comes to triples: she's hit at least one every time she's taken the field this season. Another player making a difference was Arriana Wilson, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4.

Leon's win bumped their record up to 2-0. As for Rickards, their victory ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-1.

Everything went Leon's way against Rickards in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Leon made off with a 15-3 win. Will Leon repeat their success, or does Rickards have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.