ROCKINGHAM — A better overall effort on Thursday by the junior varsity Richmond Renegade baseball team led to a mercy-rule victory.
Starting a two-game set against the Scotland Stripers, the JV Renegades earned a 10-0 win in six innings.
Bouncing back from an 11-run loss the night before, the JV Renegades barreled up nine hits. Preston Fann kept his bat hot with a 3-for-3 performance, a homer shy of the cycle, and added three runs batted in.
The combination of a strong start by Elijah Shepard (five innings, one hit, two strikeouts) and scratching five runs across the first two innings made it easy doing for Richmond.
After Shepard faced just four batters in the top of the first inning, the JV Renegades responded with two runs in the home half.
With the bases loaded and two away, Shepard helped himself out by drawing a free pass for the game’s first run. Fann, who doubled earlier in the inning, scored in the next at-bat on a passed ball.
Scotland left another runner on base in the top of the second and Richmond answered with three more runs.
Michael Osentowski led off the bottom half with a hit-by-pitch and stole second. Jake Richardson delivered with an RBI single to left field, one of five JV Renegades to drive in at least one run.
Richardson scored later in the inning on an error, and Colton Brown made it 5-0 with an RBI groundout to short, scoring Tristian Chavis (error).
Shepard worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the third and followed by retiring the JV Stripers in order in the fourth and fifth frames.
Four more runs crossed the plate in the bottom of the fifth for Richmond. Chase Woody made it a six-run lead when he escaped a pickle between third and home and slid safely across the plate.
With two outs, Fann lined a three-RBI triple to the corner in left field, clearing the bases to build a 9-0 cushion.
Pitching an inning of relief, Braden Baucom preserved the lead in the top of the sixth. He faced five batters, stranded two runners (error, walk) and got a flyout to Jake Veach in center to end the inning.
Richmond loaded the bases again in the bottom of the sixth and with one out, Chavis delivered the mercy-rule run. He knocked an RBI fielder’s choice to short, allowing Osentowski (HBP) to score.
Fann’s three hits led the team and Jason Gainey added two hits. Baucom, Richardson, Brown and C.J. Jenkins each had a hit.
The JV Renegades (4-4-2) will continue play next Wednesday at Scotland. The game will begin at 4 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Thursday’s game soon.
