Richard Bland Welcomes No. 14 Florence-Darlington Tech (S.C.) Friday

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, Va. -- Richard Bland will welcome nationally-ranked No. 14 Florence-Darlington Tech (S.C.) for a Region 10 softball doubleheader on Friday, March 16, at 1 p.m. at the Statesman Softball Field.  Richard Bland has won nine-straight games while improving to 10-3 overall, though 1-3 in Region 10, including a pair of losses at Florence-Darlington during the season's opening weekend (2-7, 3-12).  The Stingers have won 14 consecutive games and are 14-4 overall, 6-0 in Region 10.

Scouting the Statesmen
Richard Bland hasn't played in over a week since sweeping a non-region doubleheader past visiting Southern Maryland on March 7 (8-0, 11-0), both five-inning wins.  The Statesmen are coached by second-year head coach Katy Lampman, assisted by first-year assistant coaches Danielle Thacker and Troy Jacobs.

Through 13 games, Richard Bland has been led offensively by sophomore Kay'Lee Justice/Suffolk, who is hitting .474 with one home run, two doubles, 12 runs, 13 RBIs and two stolen bases.  Justice is followed by freshman Taylor Bilyard/Culpeper (.455, 1 HR, 1 3B, 4 2Bs, 14 Rs, 16 RBIs, 1 SB), sophomores Ashley Fritz/Chesterfield (.421, 1 HR, 1 3B, 5 2Bs, 14 Rs, 12 RBIs, 5 SBs), Kara Morris/Kents Store (.395, 2 HRs, 3 2Bs, 12 Rs, 15 RBIs, 1 SB) and Brooklynn Bilyard/Culpeper (.388, 4 3Bs, 2 2Bs, 18 Rs, 6 RBIs, 8 SBs), along with freshman Mary Simms/Orange (.378, 3 HRs, 4 2Bs, 12 Rs, 14 RBIs, 1 SB).  The Statesmen are hitting .386 with eight home runs, six triples, 26 doubles and 98 RBIs, while scoring 9.0 runs per game.

In the circle, Richard Bland has been led by freshmen Megan Vincent/Boykins, Kayla Shaffer/Richmond and Joana Holland/Manassas, along with Brooklynn Bilyard.  Vincent is 2-1 with a 1.81 earned run average and 23 strikeouts over 19.1 innings with two complete games in six appearances, including four starts and one save.  Shaffer is 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA and 13 strikeouts over 11.2 innings with five appearances and one start.  Holland is 3-1 with a 4.62 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 16.2 innings with one complete game in five appearances, including one start.  Brooklynn Bilyard is 3-1 with a 6.42 ERA and 47 strikeouts (11.61 K/7) over 28.1 innings with two complete games in six appearances, including six starts.  The team ERA is 4.42 with 103 strikeouts (9.49 K/7) over 76.0 innings.

Series History
Richard Bland and Florence-Darlington have played 21 times previously, and the Stingers currently lead the closely-played series, 11-10.

Up Next
Richard Bland will travel to play at NJCAA Division I opponent Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.) on Sunday, March 18, at 12 p.m. in Spartanburg, South Carolina.