ROCKINGHAM — The temperature was hot on Thursday, but so was Richmond’s pitching and offense.
Picking up play after the Fourth of July break, the Richmond Renegade junior varsity baseball team defeated Union Pines 6-0.
Chase Woody pitched a complete game one-hitter, his second complete game in as many outings. He struck out three batters and allowed just one walk in the win.
Despite five errors committed by the JV Renegades in the field, Woody was able to work out of jams and strand a total of six runners on base.
Woody faced four batters in each of the first three innings, sat Union Pines down in order in the fourth, and faced nine batters between the fifth and sixth frames before closing the door with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.
Richmond dotted the scoreboard with at least one run in five of its six innings at the plate.
The JV Renegades took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to an error on a double steal attempt. Hayden Wheeler (single) scored when the throw down to second on the steal trickled into the outfield.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, Drew Gause recorded an RBI on a fielder’s choice to second base. Racing in from third to make it 2-0 was Michael Osentowski (walk).
Two at-bats later with the bases still full of JV Renegades, Jake Richardson laid down an RBI bunt single that rolled up the third base line. That hit scored Braden Baucom (walk) to give the team a three-run cushion.
After a four-batter top of the third, Richmond used a similar situation to plate another run in the home half. This time it was an RBI fielder’s choice from Osentowski to second base, giving Adan King (single) time to cross the plate.
Another double steal attempt in the bottom of the fifth made it 5-0. Elijah Shepard, who recorded a two-out single, scored on a throwing error down to second when Richardson (walk) tried to swipe the bag.
Woody stranded runners at second and third base to end the top of the sixth inning, paving the way to Richmond’s final run.
A one-out double to center field by Osentowski resulted in him scoring on an error on a Baucom chopper in the infield.
Woody registered a fly out, ground out and a strikeout to end the game.
Richmond had six hits in the win, including doubles from Osentowski and Gause. Adding a single apiece were King, Wheeler, Shepard and Richardson.
The JV Renegades (2-2-2) will play again on Tuesday at Union Pines at 5 p.m.
Note: No varsity game was played on Thursday. The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Thursday’s game soon.
