SANFORD — Eight batters combined for 11 hits during the Richmond Renegades’ mercy-rule win on Tuesday.
Opening a two-game set, the Renegades used an eight-run third inning to defeat Lee County 13-2 in five innings.
Three strong innings of work on the mound from junior Jeremiah Ritter yielded just one hit. He struck out five batters and walked five others, but didn’t allow a run.
Sophomore Caden Nolan, who was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and three runs batted in, also pitched 1.2 innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits, four walks and punched out three batters.
Sealing the run-rule victory by recording the final one-third of an inning was sophomore Evan Hodges. That out was a strikeout.
“Jeremiah did a great job pounding the zone early,” coach Ryan Mercer said. “Our offense gave us a chance by scoring three runs early and we built off of that with the eight-run third.
“The guys swung the bat well and we took advantage of fastball counts. Everybody contributed and it was a good overall team win.”
Singles by junior Landon Taylor and senior Isaac Hinshaw in the first inning led to an RBI double from Nolan to left field.
Two batters later with Hinshaw and Nolan in scoring position, junior Riley Brown drove in a pair of runs on a hard ground ball single to left field to make it 3-0.
Ritter left the bases loaded in both the first and second innings, using a pop out and strikeout to end each threat.
The Renegades poured on the offense in the third inning by sending a dozen batters to the dish. Juniors Allen Taylor, Garret Mabe and Jabari Douglas all drew walks to load the bases with one out.
Junior Sam Thompson made it a four-run lead when he roped an RBI single the opposite way on a ground ball to right field. A two-run double in the next at-bat scored Mabe and Douglas to extend the lead to 6-0.
A walk to Landon Taylor loaded the bases and the Renegades rallied for some two-out magic to score five more runs.
An infield single by Hinshaw plated Thompson and Nolan struck again in the next at-bat, barreling another two-bagger, this time bringing in a pair of runs.
The final two runs of the inning came courtesy of an error on a Ritter grounder to third, which gave Nolan and Hinshaw time to score to make it 11-0.
Ritter sat Lee County down in order in the home half, recording a pop out and two strikeouts.
Loading the bases again in the top of the fourth inning, senior Zane Searcy (single) scored on a passed ball to put Richmond ahead by a dozen runs.
After Nolan threw a scoreless bottom half, Hodges registered the team’s final RBI with a sacrifice fly to left field in the fifth.
Needing four runs to keep the game going, Lee County managed to get just two back. Lee County scored on a steal of home and a passed ball.
Hinshaw, Nolan and Thompson each had a team-high two hits in the win. Landon Taylor, Brown, Searcy and senior Davis Faw rounded out the hitting clinic with a single apiece.
Nolan’s three RBI were a game-high, accompanied by Brown’s two RBI. Driving in solo runs were Hodges, Hinshaw and Thompson.
Now 3-2 on the summer, the Renegades will host Lee County on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
