Richmond hasn't had much luck against Scotland recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Raiders will face off against the Fighting Scots at 6:00 p.m. Richmond is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
Richmond took a loss when they played away from home last Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They walked away with an 8-4 win over Pinecrest. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Raiders as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Richmond let Hayden Robinson and Jakayla Steele run wild. Robinson got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple, while Steele got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases Robinson has posted since April 2nd. Lexi Smith was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Scotland came tearing into Tuesday's contest with 19 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.9 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Gators a 10-0 shutout. Considering the Fighting Scots have won 14 matches by more than eight runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
The result came thanks to Avery Stutts's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 14 Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in 21 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Khloe Radford, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Kinsey Hamilton, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Scotland's win was their tenth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-1. As for Richmond, their record is now 9-16.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Richmond hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like Scotland struggles in that department as they've averaged .349. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Richmond might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from Scotland in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
