CAMERON — Using the long ball four times, the Lady Raider softball team defeated Union Pines High School in mercy-rule fashion on Friday.
Richmond collected its third run-rule victory of the spring, shutting out the Lady Vikings 12-0 in five innings.
Three players cleared the fence for the Lady Raiders, including two from junior infielder Makayla Parks, both three-run shots. Over the last two games, she’s hit three homers and finished Friday’s contest with a game-high six runs batted in.
Also going yard were juniors Quston Leviner (two-run homer) and Macy Steen (solo shot). A six-run third inning broke it open, which was followed by three runs each in the fourth and fifth frames.
Senior infielder Kenleigh Frye contributed a perfect night at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a triple, double and two singles.
From the circle, Leviner threw four innings of no-hit softball to earn the win. She finished the game by allowing two hits and struck out five batters.
“Home runs are nice and we knew going into the season we had some power,” head coach Mike Way said. “They seem to come in bunches when we’re swinging the bat well, and it’s fun. Makyala is seeing it well and we have been getting on base in front of her.
“Quston has done exactly what we’ve needed her to do,” he added. “She’s learning what we’re trying to accomplish and is getting more and more comfortable with sequences of pitches. It’s starting to show and she’s getting better by the day.”
After two scoreless innings, a pair of one-out walks and a line drive RBI double to left from Frye put Richmond on the board in the top of the third. Scoring was Addy Hollingsworth.
Two pitches later, Parks teed up her first homer over the wall in left to make it a 4-0 lead.
Following a pitching change, Richmond added two more runs on Leviner’s blast. Sophomore Katie Way (walk) scored when Leviner connected on an offering and sent it to the stands in center.
Junior pitcher Quston Leviner allowed just two hits and also hit a homer in Friday’s win. (Deon Cranford/The Richmond Observer)
With one out in the top of the fourth, Parks delivered again to make it 9-0. She hit her second three-run homer to left, plating Hollingsworth (single) and Frye (single).
Securing the mercy-rule win, Steen led off the top of the fifth with a solo dinger to left field. Freshman Jakayla Steele (walk) scored on a passed ball and Frye recorded the game’s final RBI with a single to center, scoring sophomore Ryelan Lyerly (walk).
Richmond tallied nine hits in the win and didn’t commit any errors on defense. Isabella Garcia and Corryn McCutchen had the two hits for Union Pines (4-3, 1-1 SAC), both in the bottom of the fifth.
The Lady Raiders (5-1, 2-1 SAC) will travel to Lee County High School (0-3, 0-3 SAC) for another conference game on Monday, starting at 5 p.m.
JV Lady Raiders fall to Union Pines
Also playing at Union Pines on Friday, the Richmond junior varsity softball team lost 11-7 in six innings (time limit).
Erasing a four-run deficit, Richmond scored four runs in the third and three more in the fourth. Kady Harris, Trinity Lockhart and Maddie Pearson all had two hits for the JV Lady Raiders.
Harris had a triple and a single and brought in two runs, while Erin Fields added a double and two RBIs. Pearson and Jakayla Steele both recorded one RBI.
Pitching for the JV Lady Raiders was Pearson, who tossed five innings and struck out five batters.
The JV Lady Raiders are now 2-3 on the season.
