SOUTHERN PINES — After a loss earlier in the week to Pinecrest High School, head baseball coach Eric Brown said he had a good feeling about Friday’s series finale.
The Raiders brought the same intensity they had to end Tuesday’s meeting and evened the two-game set with the Patriots.
Thanks to a strong start on the mound by junior pitcher Jeremiah Ritter, coupled with timely hitting in the fourth and seventh innings, Richmond earned a 5-1 win.
The victory made it the sixth time in the last eight seasons that the Raiders and Patriots have split their regular-season series.
Ritter filled the strike zone and silenced the Patriots’ bats, going 5.2 innings (pitch count). He allowed one earned run on four hits and punched out six batters.
Sophomore Evan Hodges, who helped offensively in the fourth, closed the door in the final 1.1 innings of work. He allowed a hit and struck out two batters.
Both teams had two base runners in the first inning but failed to score. Hodges ended the bottom of the first by nabbing JC Woolard trying to steal third.
Pinecrest left-hander Bohdi Robertson (3.2 innings, four runs, five walks, two hits) got into trouble in the top of the second. Drawing no-out walks were senior Isaac Hinshaw and junior Riley Brown, and freshman Collin Hill was plunked to load the bases with one away.
Ritter helped his own cause two batters later with two outs. He fouled off three Robertson offerings before trotting to first base on a walk. Crossing home on the bases-loaded free pass was Hinshaw.
In the bottom of the second, Ritter left a pair of base runners on. He followed that with a four-batter third frame, stranding another runner.
Brown led off the top of the fourth with a double to the alley in right-center. Junior Jason Walker, playing small ball, reached safely after a bunt and a throwing error, which moved Brown to third.
With runners on the corners and one away, junior Landon Taylor recorded the eventual game-winning RBI when he lifted a sacrifice fly to left field. Brown turned on the jets to beat the throw home.
A walk to Ritter in the next at-bat, one of three in the game for him, ended Robertson’s night. Woolard (3.1 innings, one run, three hits) replaced him but allowed the Raiders to double their lead.
On the second offering from Woolard, Hodges ripped an RBI single back up the middle to score Walker. Following a throwing error on the same play, courtesy runner Marquan Martin (running for Ritter) scored to make it 4-0.
A 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth for Ritter was followed by the Patriots (5-2, 1-1 SAC) scoring their lone run in the home half of the fifth inning. A leadoff walk to Tyler Skizenta resulted in a run on an RBI double by Nate Lowry.
An inning later, Pinecrest put two runners on base to start the bottom of the sixth with a pair of base knocks. Flashing the leather, Brown fielded a sharply hit grounder by Mitch Baek and started a 5-3 double play to put a stop to the rally attempt.
Ritter was replaced by Hodges after the double play after reaching the pitch count. Sophomore Caden Nolan scooped up a ground ball at second a batter later to end the inning.
Hodges doubled to start the seventh, one of four two-baggers in the game for the Raiders. Nolan reached safely on a fielder’s choice when Conner Phifer (running for Hodges) was thrown out trying to advance to third.
The miscue was erased in the next at-bat when Hinshaw unloaded on a Woolard pitch, barreling an RBI double to the warning track in right-center. Nolan, galloping in from first, slid safely under the tag attempt by catcher Connor Tepatti to make it 5-1.
In the home half, Hodges was all business, bookending a four-batter inning with a pair of strikeouts to preserve the win.
The Raiders (4-2, 2-2 SAC) return to action Tuesday at Hoke County High School (0-7, 0-4 SAC). First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
JV Raiders remain winless
The Richmond junior varsity baseball team lost its fourth straight game to start the season Friday.
Hosting Pinecrest, the JV Raiders fell 13-3 in six innings.
Trailing 4-3 after the third inning, Richmond was outscored 9-0 in the final three frames. Pinecrest ended it early with six runs in the sixth.
The JV Raiders tallied three hits, two by sophomore Preston Fann, which included a double. Fellow sophomore Jake Veach added a single and an RBI.
Freshman Jakob Trexler recorded the JV Raiders’ other RBI on a groundout, part of a two-run bottom of the third.
Michael Osentowski started on the mound and threw five innings. He allowed 10 earned runs on 13 hits.
Drew Gause (0.2 IP) and Tristan Chavis (0.1 IP) combined for the final innings. Gause gave up three earned runs on a hit and three walks.
The JV Raiders (0-4, 0-4 SAC) will welcome in Hoke County Tuesday at 5 p.m.
