Softball Game Preview: Russell Red Devils vs. Lewis County Lions

The Russell Red Devils will venture away from home to take on the Lewis County Lions at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Russell is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.

Russell's tournament run continued when they took on East Carter on Saturday. The Red Devils fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 4-3.

Russell saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Karson Honaker, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

Lewis County came out on top against West Carter on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run fourth inning. The Lions had just enough and edged out the Comets 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Lions have posted against the Comets since May 9, 2016.

Myla Clark was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over seven innings pitched. Those eight strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lisa Kamer, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Elizabeth Wilburn also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.

Russell has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-11 record this season. As for Lewis County, the victory got them back to even at 10-10.

Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Russell hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. However, it's not like Lewis County struggles in that department as they've averaged .372. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Everything went Russell's way against Lewis County in their previous matchup back in March, as Russell made off with a 15-6 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Red Devils since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.