ROCKINGHAM — The Lady Raider softball team got its 2020 season off to a fast start on Wednesday, mercy-ruling visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy in five innings.
Using seven extra-base hits, including five doubles, a triple and a home run, the Lady Raiders rolled past the Lady Eagles 13-3.
Richmond used dominant starting pitching by junior Paige Ransom in her first high school start, and coupled that with a four-run third inning and a six-run fourth inning to give first-year head coach Mike Way his first career win.
Ransom pitched four innings, allowed just three hits and struck out two batters to earn the win. She also secured the mercy-rule win with a two-RBI single to left field in the bottom of the fifth.
“Paige pitched really well tonight,” Way said. “We had a little rough start in the beginning, but we got through that. And then it was business as usual for Paige. She was admittedly nervous, and we’re all trying to get through the newness of this.”
Ransom struggled in the first, allowing a leadoff single and a walk. But sophomore catcher Taylor Waitley gunned out both runners trying to steal second to eliminate the early threat.
“That was huge for us,” Way said of Waitley’s defense. “It was a scoreless game at that point and that changed the momentum in our favor.”
The Lady Raiders collected 13 hits, with Waitley and junior Payton Chappell both going 3-for-3 at the dish. The pair recorded two doubles apiece, each scored three runs and combined for five RBI.
Senior Madison Jordan also brought the bat, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a game-high four RBI. Sophomore Kenleigh Frye added the last extra-base hit, a triple, and scored two runs.
Chappell got the scoring started in the bottom of the first when she hit a double to center, scoring Frye (triple).
In the bottom of the third, sophomore Allyiah Swiney drew a leadoff walk and Chappell, Waitley and Jordan traded places on back-to-back-to-back doubles to put Richmond up 4-0. Junior Kearston Bruce recorded her lone RBI of the game with a bloop single to left, plating Jordan.
A 1-2-3 inning by Ransom in the top of the fourth let the Lady Raider bats pick right back up. Three straight walks to begin the home half loaded the bases and Waitley delivered a two-RBI single to left field.
In the next at-bat, Jordan broke the game open with a moonshot three-run blast over the left field wall. Freshman Quston Leviner recorded her first career RBI later in the inning with a base knock to left.
After allowing Uwharrie Charter (0-1) to score three runs in the top of the fifth, Chappell and Waitley got on board in the home half, and later scored on the game-ending single by Ransom.
“I told the girls we did an excellent job of picking which pitches to swing at,” Way said. “We weren’t chasing balls out of the zone, and that’s how you get hits.
“The faster we can start off, the faster our nerves can settle,” he closed. “It’s a game, and in the end, if we’re not getting excited about it, then I don’t know why we’re out here. Those performances tonight by Taylor, Payton, Madison, Paige and Kearston will put us in pretty good shape.”
The Lady Raiders (1-0) will return to action Thursday on the road at non-conference Anson High School. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
