Softball Game Preview: Richland Royals vs. Grapevine Mustangs

Royals

Runs

03/14/25 @ Birdville	4
03/11/25 vs Ryan	8
03/07/25 @ Denton	20
03/04/25 vs Argyle	2
03/01/25 @ Saginaw	14
+ 12 more games

Richland has gone 8-2 against Grapevine recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Wednesday. The Richland Royals will look to defend their home field against the Grapevine Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. Richland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.2 runs per game this season.

Richland is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Birdville just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Friday. They took a 9-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Hawks. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Richland saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Stacy Jennings, who went 1-for-4 with one triple and two RBI. Another was Alyssa Flores, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Monday just wasn't the day for Grapevine's offense. They fell 3-0 to Birdville on Monday. That makes it the first time this season the Mustangs have let down their home crowd.

Bella MacMahon was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.

This is the second loss in a row for Grapevine and nudges their season record down to 9-9. That patch can't be blamed on the team's pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Richland, their defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 11-4-2.

Richland's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's contest. Richland has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Grapevine, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Richland continue to outrun the ball?

Richland couldn't quite get it done against Grapevine when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 10-7. Will Richland have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.