Home Local Sports Six doubles and Ransom’s 4 RBIs lead Rattlers to 10th straight win

Six doubles and Ransom’s 4 RBIs lead Rattlers to 10th straight win

Rising senior Jake Ransom stands on second base after his second of three doubles in Thursday's 15-6 win over Southern Lee. He had a game-high 4 RBIs.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Pillar.

SANFORD, N.C. – The Richmond Rattlers senior baseball team tied its season-high run total on the road at Southern Lee Thursday, and extended its winning streak to 10 games in the process.

Hot off a narrow two-run win over the Cavaliers the night before, Richmond’s bats exploded for 15 runs on 12 hits to defeat Southern Lee 15-6. Six of the Rattlers’ hits went for extra bases, all doubles, and rising senior Jake Ransom led the way by collecting three doubles and four RBIs in the win.

It was the second time Ransom had plated four RBIs in a game this summer, the other time coming in a 13-3 win over Pinecrest on June 20. Fellow rising seniors Brett Young (two doubles) and Nolan Allen (one double) rounded out the extra-base hitting affair.

Improving to 10-2 in Central Carolina Scholastic Summer League play, head coach Ricky Young’s team continues to battle game after game with a revolving door of players at different positions. Like in Wednesday’s game, the Rattlers were without several of their starters Thursday, and it was another rising junior left-hander who got the nod on the hill.

Luke Preslar followed up Mitchell Paul, whose pitched in the series opener against the Cavs, by tossing 3.2 innings, and gave up five runs on six hits, and collected two strikeouts. After getting in a pinch in the bottom of the fourth, Young went with rising senior Hunter Parris, who closed the final 3.1 innings in relief, and picked the win, allowing just one run and struck out five batters.

“Both Luke and Hunter did okay on the mound tonight,” Young said of his pitchers. “They probably threw a few more pitches than I would have liked them to, but they were able to get out of some big situations. We had a couple miscues that kept some innings alive — but it was a good night for them.”

The Rattlers got off to another fast start, a common theme this summer, as they scored three runs in each of the first two innings. In the first, Richmond struck a little two-out magic, as Ransom got things going with his first double to the left-center gap. Rising senior Garret Richardson, who has become a ball magnet of late, was hit by a pitch for the first of two times in the game in the next at-bat.

Recording the first RBI of the game was rising senior Nolan Allen, as he singled in his fourth-straight at-bat dating back to Wednesday’s game, bringing Ransom in from second. Parris blasted a two-RBI single to right field to close out the first half frame, allowing Richardson and Allen to race home.

The Cavaliers made it a 3-2 game in their half of the first, as back-to-back singles to lead off the inning put runners at first and second with no outs. After Preslar got two fly ball outs, Southern Lee loaded the bases with a walk, and a two-run single made it a one-run game. Preslar picked up a big-time strikeout with an offspeed pitch to end the threat.

In the second, rising senior Chris Austin drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. After a single by rising freshman catcher Collin Wheeler, who made his second varsity start behind the plate, moved Austin to third, an errant pickoff attempt of Wheeler at first allowed Austin to score. Wheeler tested his luck trying to score on the bouncing ball, but was tagged out at the plate.

Again, Richmond struck lighting in a bottle with two outs, as rising junior Dallas Cowick roped a single and stole second base. A batter later, Young slapped the first of his two doubles to the right-center gap, scoring Cowick. Ransom dug in and made quick work on the first pitch he saw, roping a gapper to the same spot from the inning before, scoring Young.

“Early in the game, I thought we did a really good job (on offense),” Young said following the win. “We had a great approach in trying to take everything backside against a left hander who was trying to pitch (righties) away. We did a good job at making contact against him.

“And then later, they (Southern Lee) managed to work themselves back in the game,” he continued. “But we were able to execute on our end — Jake had a bit hit, and a couple of guys were able to work some good counts to get on base ahead of him. It was nice to get some breathing room.”

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After going quietly in the top of the third, the Rattlers added a run in the fourth to make it 7-3. Cowick failed to advance Wheeler (leadoff walk) to second on a sacrifice bunt attempt, as the pitcher elected to get the 1-6 fielder’s choice. Safe at first, Cowick would steal second and come home in the next at-bat as Young hit a double to the wall in dead center.

Preslar settled in during the second and third innings, facing just four batters in each inning, and got some defensive support in the process. With a runner on first and no outs in the third, Parris snagged a line drive at third and was able to complete the double play by picking off the runner at first.

But it was in the fourth inning that Southern Lee made things most interesting, as it scored four runs to make it a 7-6 ball game. An error, a fielder’s choice and a walk put runners on the corners with just one out. An RBI single made it 7-3, and with two outs, the Cavaliers hit another RBI base knock, coupled with a wild pitch, to pull within two.

Coach Young pulled Preslar at 3.2 innings, and on the first pitch in relief, Parris allowed an RBI single to left, but struck out the next batter to end the bleeding. It would be the Cavaliers’ final run of the game.

Not able to make anything out of Allen’s leadoff double in the fifth, which he sped around first to take advantage a lackadaisical effort by the center fielder, Richmond banked two insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning with two outs following a pitching change. Cowick (walk) scored when he stole third base and advanced home when the catcher’s throw sailed into left field. Young (HBP) followed suit three batters later when Allen drew a bases-loaded walk.

Heading into the seventh, the Rattlers led 9-6 — but they weren’t finished.

Richmond’s offense exploded in the final frame, as the Rattlers scored six runs by sending 11 batters to the plate, picking up two hits and three walks. Rising junior Austin Talton led off with a bloop shot to shallow right field, but was awarded first base regardless thanks to catcher’s interference. A Logan Moore walk, followed by a Wheeler single loaded the bases for rising junior Dawson Bryant.

Bryant drew a full-count walk and was awarded an RBI as all four runners advanced 90 feet, scoring Talton. Cowick was patient and drew another bases-loaded walk, allowing Moore to score, to put Richmond ahead 11-6.

Following a strikeout to give the Cavs two outs, Ransom cleared the bases with his third double of the night, this one a rocket that landed just shy of the 390-foot mark on the center field wall. He would later score the game’s final run as he flashed his speed on by advancing two bases on passed balls.

“I just tried to get into a fastball count and get a good swing on the ball,” Ransom said of his performance. “It’s cool to win 10 in a row, but we’re just trying to play as hard as we can every ball game. We just want to keep getting better for the regular season (in the spring), and hopefully we can carry this on to that.”

Ransom led the stat sheet by going 3-for-4 with three doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored. Young finished the night 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored, and Allen stayed hot at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, single, two RBIs and a run scored. Cowick led all players with four runs scored and an RBI, while Parris’ lone hit in the first inning gave him two RBIs on the night.

“The goal is to finish strong,” Young wrapped up. “We want to finish on a positive note, and that’s what I just told the players (after the game). We only have two games left and it’s important that we play well.”

The CCSSL schedule is winding down, as the Rattlers only have two games remaining. They’ll look to finish the season on a 12-game winning streak as they’ll play a two-game set against Lee County next Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday’s game is on the road in Sanford, and the season finale is home Wednesday. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.



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Kyle Pillar is a 22-time North Carolina Press Association award-winning sports editor with The Richmond Observer. Follow the sports department on X @ROSports_ for the best in-depth coverage of Richmond County sports.