Softball Game Preview: Ragland Purple Devils vs. Appalachian Eagles

The Ragland Purple Devils are taking a road trip to challenge the Appalachian Eagles at 1:00 p.m. on Monday. Ragland has given up an average of 8.4 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.

Wednesday just wasn't the day for Ragland's offense. They lost 15-0 to Springville on Wednesday. The Purple Devils haven't had much luck with the Tigers recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.

Meanwhile, Appalachian earned a 10-6 victory over Victory Christian on Thursday.

Appalachian got a great performance from Tori Atkinson as she pitched 5.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Atkinson has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Graci McGuire, who scored two runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Sophie Peek also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.

Appalachian hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.

Appalachian is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 4-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. Ragland's defeat dropped their record down to 2-7.

Ragland couldn't quite get it done against Appalachian in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 as they fell 13-8. Can Ragland avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.