River View will venture away from home to take on Liberty at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. River View has given up an average of 8.4 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
River View came up short against Independence on Tuesday, falling 15-1. The Raiders have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
River View saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brianna Blankenship, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Liberty, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Bluefield on Thursday as they made off with a 15-0 victory. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Raiders as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.
Maddie Cox was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Allie Bowles was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Stella Brown, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Liberty kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bluefield only managed two.
Liberty's record is now 9-22. As for River View, their loss dropped their record down to 8-12.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. River View has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Liberty struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
River View couldn't quite get it done against Liberty in their previous matchup back in April of 2018 as they fell 5-0. Can River View avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.