Statesmen Earn Split Against Cleveland Yetis

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA — The Richard Bland College Softball team earned a split in Friday's conference doubleheader against Cleveland Community College, using a strong offensive showing and dominant pitching performance to take game one before falling in a tightly contested game two. The Statesmen now sit at 21-17 overall and 10-4 in conference play.

In game one, Richard Bland powered its way to an 8-3 victory behind timely hitting and a complete-game effort in the circle from Ava Balli. After a scoreless first two innings, the Statesmen broke through in the third as Claudia Minetree delivered a two-run triple to spark the offense. Rayna Klar followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0. Cleveland responded with a pair of runs in the fourth and added another in the sixth, but Richard Bland answered in the fifth inning with three more runs. Kamryn Lane and Brayanna Holland each drove in runs during the frame, while pressure on the bases forced a key error that allowed another run to score. The Statesmen added insurance in the sixth, capitalizing on defensive miscues and a wild pitch to seal the win. Minetree led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs, while Klar added two hits and a RBI. Samantha Barbe chipped in with two hits, including a double. In the circle, Balli was dominant, striking out 10 over seven innings while allowing just three runs on six hits.

Game two saw Richard Bland jump out early with three runs in the first inning. Daphne Hall scored on a passed ball before Grace Urban and Kamryn Lane each drove in runs with a sacrifice fly and extra-base hit, respectively. However, Cleveland responded in the second inning and continued to apply pressure throughout the game. A two-run fifth inning gave the visitors the lead, and a three-run seventh—highlighted by a home run—put the game out of reach. Lane led the Statesmen offensively in game two, recording two of the team's four hits, including a double and a triple, while driving in a run. Urban and Allison Hebron each added a RBI. Richard Bland drew five walks in the game but was limited to four hits overall.

The Richard Bland College Softball team will next travel to Louisburg College on Wednesday, April 8^th for a 4pm conference doubleheader.

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.