Softball Game Preview: Richmond Raiders vs. Pinecrest Patriots

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Previous Games

04/01/25 - Home	15-2 W
03/07/25 - Away	9-12 L
04/09/24 - Away	14-11 W
03/08/24 - Home	12-6 W
04/04/23 - Home	9-5 W
+ 5 more games

Richmond is 9-1 against Pinecrest since March of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Raiders will be taking part in a tournament against the Patriots at 6:00 p.m. Richmond is coming into the game on a four-game losing streak.

Richmond came into this matchup off a tough 15-run defeat on Saturday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Manteo by a score of 4-2 on Monday.

Madee Pearson was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out six batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. That's the fewest hits she has allowed over her last seven matchups.

On the hitting side, Richmond saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Emma Rusich, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.

Meanwhile, after soaring to 15 runs the game before, Pinecrest was a bit more limited in their contest on Thursday. They came up short against Union Pines, falling 12-2. The Patriots have struggled against the Vikings recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost meeting.

Pinecrest's loss dropped their record down to 6-16. As for Richmond, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-16.

Monday'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 .351. However, it's not like Pinecrest struggles in that department as they've averaged .348. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Everything went Richmond's way against Pinecrest when the teams last played on April 1st, as Richmond made off with a 15-2 victory. Will the Raiders repeat their success, or do the Patriots have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.