ROCKINGHAM — Facing and passing an early-season test, the Richmond Raider baseball team dug deep to eliminate a four-run deficit during Wednesday’s non-conference game.
A two-RBI double by senior catcher Colin Wheeler sparked a five-run fourth inning, which guided the Raiders to a 7-4 win over Butler High School.
After giving up four runs to the Bulldogs in the top half of the inning, Richmond took the lead and added two insurance runs in the sixth inning.
Senior right-hander Will Dawkins got the start on the mound and threw 3.2 innings of work. He retired the first nine batters he faced in order, using four ground outs, two fly outs, two strikeouts and a line out.
Dawkins recorded two outs in the top of the fourth, but surrendered four unearned runs on three hits, three walks and an error.
Sophomore pitcher Camron Seagraves pitched in relief and inherited runners on second and third with two outs. He ended the threat by getting Alex Angelon to line out to third baseman Cameron Way.
Tossing the remaining 3.1 innings of the game, Seagraves earned the win and allowed just one hit. He also struck out two batters, including Carter Carver for the final out.
Sophomore Camron Seagraves, who earned the win, delivers a pitch in the seventh inning. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
The Bulldogs (0-1) scored their four runs in the fourth on a Peyton Hulighan double, a bases-loaded walk, and RBI single by Dylan Jones and an infield single from Ryan Wilson.
Responding with a big inning at the plate, the Raiders sent 10 batters to the dish in the bottom half of the fourth. Way (walk) and senior Matthew Walker (infield single) started the inning, setting up Wheeler’s two-RBI double.
Connecting on the first offering from Zack Francis, Wheeler’s shot went to the right-center gap and rolled to the wall. Way and Walker scored and Wheeler slid head first into third on the throw to the plate.
In the next at-bat, Seagraves laced an RBI single to center on a full count, bringing home Wheeler. An error on the base knock allowed Seagraves to trot into third base.
Two batters later, junior Ethan Clayton knocked in Seagraves with a line drive single to center field. Courtesy runner Walker Lambeth replaced Clayton on the bases and moved to second on an Ethan Clayton single, one of six hits in the frame for Richmond.
Still with just one out, senior Alston Johnson joined the scoring parade with a 2-RBI double to right. That brought Lambeth and Locklear home safely to put the Raiders up 5-4.
Senior Alston Johnson connects on his 2-RBI double in the fourth. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
The Bulldogs pulled Francis after Johnson’s two-bagger and finished with a line of 3.1 innings, eight hits, five earned runs and two strikeouts. He was replaced by Spencer Price, who threw 1.2 innings of relief and gave up two earned runs on one hit.
Both teams went scoreless in the fifth, and Seagraves retired the side in order in the sixth with a ground out and two pop outs.
Clayton drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth and was run for by junior Jullian Cline. A throwing error allowed Cline to move to second and a pickoff attempt that deflected off Cline’s helmet moved him 90 feet to third base.
Locklear followed with a walk and stole second, and with runners on second and third, another error by Hulighan behind the plate gave way to Cline racing home to score.
The Raiders’ final run of the game came in the next at-bat when Johnson lifted a fly ball to right field, plating Locklear on a sacrifice fly. Before the inning was over, Way lasered a double to the left field corner, but didn’t score.
Seagraves’ two strikeouts bookended a four-batter seventh inning for Butler. He allowed a one-out single but also used a 6-3 groundout to collect the second out.
Richmond tallied a season-high 10 hits, with Walker’s two singles leading the way. Johnson, Way (double), Wheeler (double), Dawkins, Seagraves, Clayton, Locklear and sophomore James Eason all added a hit.
Johnson and Wheeler’s two RBIs apiece were a game-high, and Seagraves and Clayton both added one each.
The Raiders’ defense played soundly behind Dawkins and Seagraves, and committed just one error to Butler’s four miscues.
Junior Ethan Locklear makes a running catch in center early in Richmond’s win over Butler. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Richmond (2-0) will cap its three-game opening week with a road trip to Montgomery Central High School (0-1) on Friday.
The Raiders defeated the Timberwolves 7-0 in Tuesday’s season opener. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Note: The Richmond junior varsity baseball team (1-0) didn’t have a game Wednesday, and will also travel to Montgomery Central on Friday for a 4 p.m. start.
