Softball Game Preview: Ryle Raiders vs. Dixie Heights Colonels

The Ryle Raiders will venture away from home to square off against the Dixie Heights Colonels at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Ryle has three straight wins, Dixie Heights has six straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Ryle's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 9-0 margin over Holy Cross. The result was nothing new for the Raiders, who have now won nine matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.

Laci DeLauder made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Leah Broussard, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double. Another player making a difference was Makenna Hirshey, who earned two runs and two stolen bases.

Meanwhile, Dixie Heights lost 18-5 to Bishop Brossart on Wednesday. That's two games in a row now that the Colonels have lost by exactly 13 runs.

Ryle's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-4-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Dixie Heights, their loss dropped their record down to 2-14.

Ryle took their victory against Dixie Heights when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 16-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Raiders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.