SHALLOTTE, N.C. — The Raider baseball team was looking for someone or something to help snap its three-game losing streak. And the answer was senior outfielder Nolan Allen’s performance at the plate Monday.
The Raiders and head coach Ricky Young opened their in the Beach Diamond Invitational at West Brunswick High School with a 4-1 win over Morehead High School. It marked the first victory for Richmond in over a week.
Allen had a productive afternoon, driving in three of his team’s runs on two hits. Senior Evan Hudson earned the win on the mound, tossing five innings and allowing just four hits and one earned run.
Fellow senior Cameron Carraway pitched the final two innings of relief, not allowing any hits and striking out two batters.
“It’s good to be back winning,” Young said. “We’re glad we swung the bat well enough today to score. Last week we didn’t have many opportunities, so it was nice to get runners on, be more aggressive and force the action a little bit.
“Nolan had some big hits with runners in scoring position,” he added. “Evan hadn’t thrown in a while but he’s a good pitcher. This tournament was a good opportunity to get him another start and he threw the ball really well.”
The Raiders would add solo runs in the second, third, fourth and six innings, while scattering seven hits, six of which came off of starting Panthers’ pitcher Carson Wray.
With two outs in the bottom of the second, Hudson reached safely with a single to left field, and was replaced with courtesy runner Austin Talton. An overthrown pickoff move by Wray allowed Talton to race to third base.
Allen dug in and laid down a bunt up the third base line and beat the throw for an infield single and his first RBI and the first run of the game.
In the third, Carraway beat out an infield single to deep short, allowing fellow senior teammate Brett Young (infield single to the same spot) to make it a 2-0 ball game. An inning later, Allen skied a fly ball to center field for a sacrifice fly, plating senior Garret Richardson (walk).
The Panthers would get their lone run of the game in the top of the fourth inning, using a Hayden Friese RBI single to center to score Logan Dodson.
Allen would cap the game’s scoring a couple of innings later in the sixth, adding an insurance run on an RBI double to left field. He took the first offering from relief pitcher Bradley Vernon and sent a shot to the corner, seeing Richardson (error) score.
Also collecting hits for Richmond were Tyler Bass, Brett Young and Jake Ransom. Allen and Hudson each had a game-high two hits, with Allen having the game’s only extra base hit.
Richmond (16-5) will return to action Tuesday for its second qualifying game against host West Brunswick. The Trojans (12-7) defeated Maiden High School 8-7 in walk-off fashion in their opening game.
