Softball Game Preview: Fuquay - Varina Bengals vs. Cleveland Rams

The Fuquay - Varina Bengals will face off against the Cleveland Rams at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The home team had won the previous five meetings between Fuquay - Varina and Corinth Holders, and Corinth Holders kept the tradition alive. The Bengals came up short against the Pirates on Tuesday, falling 16-5.

Meanwhile, Cleveland had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it nine on Tuesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Bulldogs a 15-0 shutout. Considering the Rams have won eight contests by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Emma Colton made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (two). She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with three RBI and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gracie Ritchie, who scored a run while going 2-for-2. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Rylee Meyer was another key player, scoring a run.

Cleveland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .826. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Cleveland's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-3. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Fuquay - Varina, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-4.

Fuquay - Varina suffered a grim 13-3 defeat to Cleveland in their previous meeting back in March. Will the Bengals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.