Softball Game Preview: Rustburg Red Devils vs. Alleghany Cougars

The Rustburg Red Devils will head out on the road to take on the Alleghany Cougars at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Neither of those teams managed to put together many runs in their previous contests, so the offenses might be a little more motivated than usual.

Rustburg is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Virginia's top teams: Jefferson Forest, who was ranked seventh at the time (Rustburg was ranked 11th). The Red Devils fell just short of the Cavaliers by a score of 1-0 on Tuesday. The match marked the first time this season in which the Red Devils were not able to get on the board.

Laila Bigham

Batters Struck Out

04/01/25 vs Jefferson Forest	16
03/28/25 @ Brookville	16
03/25/25 vs Alleghany	6
03/21/25 vs Appomattox County	21
03/18/25 vs Randolph-Henry	12

The result came thanks to Laila Bigham's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 16 Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.

Meanwhile, Alleghany fell victim to Rustburg and their airtight pitching crew last Tuesday. They fell just short of the Red Devils by a score of 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Cougars have suffered since April 23, 2024.

Rustburg's defeat dropped their record down to 6-1. As for Alleghany, their loss dropped their record down to 3-1.

Rustburg came out on top in a nail-biter against Alleghany in their previous matchup last Tuesday, sneaking past 2-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Red Devils since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.