ROCKINGHAM — Getting back to the “fundamentals” of baseball is what led the Richmond Rattlers’ junior varsity team to earn a win in its home opener Wednesday.
A night after being run-ruled at Lee County to open the Central Carolina Scholastic Summer League, the Rattlers returned the favor with a 10-0 mercy-rule win over visiting Western Harnett High School in six innings.
Rising sophomore pitcher Matthew Walker got the nod on the mound, and the left-hander threw four innings of scoreless baseball for the win. He struck out four Pioneers batters, while limiting Western Harnett to just one hit.
Walker also sat the Pioneers down in order in two of his four innings of work. Relieving him to close out the final two innings was rising freshman Thomas Lampley, who recorded three groundouts, two pop outs and a strikeout.
“We did all the fundamental things better tonight, which helped us,” coach Ty Bostick said following the win. “The guys swung at fastballs earlier in the count, made contact to put it in play and we ran the bases better.
“Our defense was better and we threw a lot more strikes,” he added. “Matthew was really impressive — he went out and threw strikes and was effective with his off-speed stuff. At this level, if you can throw strikes, you can get the job done.”
Richmond would score two runs in the first and hang a pair of four spots in the third and sixth innings to send Western Harnett packing. To open the home half of the first, an RBI single by rising freshman Ashton Phifer to left scored fellow freshman Ethan Clayton (fielder’s choice).
Phifer would score two batters later when rising sophomore David O’Neal reached on an error by the second baseman.
Rising freshman Ethan Locklear started the scoring in the bottom of the third, reaching safely after a dropped third strike. A base knock by Walker moved him to second, and a misplay on the single allowed both runners to move into scoring position.
Digging in next was rising sophomore Ahmad Shelton, who found a hole in the left side of the infield for a two-RBI base hit. To cap the four-run inning, Richmond used an RBI single to right by Clayton to score sophomore Jude Howard (fielder’s choice), and a throwing error by Western Harnett’s shortstop allowed freshman Brycen Goodwin (single) to score.
After two quiet innings at the plate, the Rattlers saw seven straight batters reach safely in the sixth to end the game early. Locklear, Walker and Shelton would load the bases, as Howard drew a bases-loaded walk for the first run of the frame.
Goodwin followed suit with a walk with the bags full, and Clayton delivered his second RBI single of the night to bring in Walker. Rising sophomore Dexter Mabe ended it with a bang, lasering a walkoff single to left field for his first hit of the summer.
The Rattlers will end their three-game week Thursday at home against Lee County and look to redeem themselves against the Spinners. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. at Richmond Senior High School.
