Softball Sweeps Bobcats, Drops Non-Conference Game to Bantams

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA — Richard Bland College Softball delivered a pair of thrilling wins on Wednesday, sweeping Bryant & Stratton (VA) in dramatic fashion, including a walk-off victory in game one and a late push to secure game two. The next day, the Statesmen dropped a matchup to USC Union, falling despite early opportunities at the plate.

In the opener with the Bobcats, the Statesmen battled back and forth before erupting for six runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure a 10-9 walk-off victory. Richard Bland jumped out early with a run in the first and added two more in the fourth, but Bryant & Stratton rallied late, scoring eight runs over the final three innings to take a 4-9 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth. The Statesmen responded with their biggest inning of the day. RBI contributions and timely hitting fueled the comeback, highlighted by a dominant performance from Grace Urban, who drove in five runs, including a home run and a double. Rayna Klar added a home run and two RBIs, while Jaclyn Betti and Samantha Barbe also contributed RBIs in the win. Ava Balli earned the victory in the circle, tossing all eight innings with 11 strikeouts.

Game two proved just as competitive, with Richard Bland edging Bryant & Stratton 5-4 to complete the sweep. After falling behind 1-3 early, the Statesmen chipped away with runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. The game-winning run came in the bottom of the seventh as Richard Bland capitalized on pressure and aggressive baserunning to walk it off for the second time on the day. Rayna Klar and Jaclyn Betti each recorded two hits, while Samantha Montalvo delivered the lone RBI. The Statesmen were aggressive on the bases, swiping multiple bags to keep pressure on the defense. Grace Urban got the start in the circle, while Ava Balli picked up her second win of the day in relief, tossing two scoreless innings with four strikeouts to shut the door.

On Thursday, USC Union struck quickly, capitalizing on a big first inning to take control of the game. The visitors used a combination of timely hitting and RBC miscues to build an early multi-run lead that the Statesmen were unable to overcome. Richard Bland showed flashes offensively throughout the contest, putting runners on base and creating scoring chances in multiple innings. The Statesmen threatened in the middle innings, highlighted by hits from Grace Urban, Rayna Klar, and Jaina Davis, but were unable to string together enough timely hits to close the gap. Defensively, RBC worked to settle in after the opening frame, turning routine plays and limiting additional damage through the middle innings. However, USC Union added insurance runs late to maintain control. Richard Bland continued to compete down the stretch, including pressure on the bases in the final innings, but ultimately could not complete the comeback.

The Richard Bland College Softball team will next travel to Southwest Virginia Community College for a 12pm doubleheader on Saturday, March 28^th.

For the full schedule and updates throughout the season, visit https://www.rbcathletics.com/sports/sball/2025-26/schedule or follow @rbcsoftball on social media.