ROCKINGHAM — Patience at the plate paid off for the junior varsity Richmond Renegade baseball team on Tuesday.
Facing the Western Harnett Pioneers at home, the JV Renegades drew seven walks in a 13-6 win in five innings (time limit).
Behind another strong start from Chase Woody (four innings, two hits, four runs, four strikeouts), the JV Renegades capitalized on an eight-run second inning to break the game open.
The Pioneers used a pair of errors and a passed ball to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Jason Gainey eliminated that lead in the home half with an RBI double to the gap in right-center, the first of his team-leading two hits.
Scoring on the play was Jake Veach, who reached on a free pass, making it 1-1.
Woody left a pair of runners on base in the top of the second, which led to 11 batters visiting the plate in the home half.
With two outs, Preston Fann (hit-by-pitch) started the big inning when he scored on a passed ball. He was the first of three straight runners to score on a ball to the backstop.
Colton Brown and Elijah Shepard, who reached via a base on balls, also scored on passed balls to make it a three-run lead.
Drew Gause belted an RBI single on a line drive to center field, scoring Tristian Chavis (walk).
Two batters later, C.J. Jenkins connected on an RBI double to the gap in center field to plate Gause and make it a 6-1 lead.
Veach kept the inning going when he hit a grounder to short and reached on an error. Two runners scored, Jake Richardson (HBP) and Jenkins.
Veach ended the big home half by scoring on another passed ball to build a 9-1 cushion.
Woody stranded two more runners on base in the top of the third and Richmond added to its lead with one run in the bottom half.
Gainey beat out a leadoff infield single to first base, stole second and used passed balls to advance to third and score.
Western Harnett got two runs back in the fourth before the JV Renegades added three insurance runs.
Shepard (walk) used his speed to steal home when Gause (walk) initiated a double steal. Veach reached on another error at short, allowing Gause and Jenkins (error) to score.
Coach Corey Wallace went to the pen in the top of the fifth, starting with Veach and finishing the win with Jenkins.
The Pioneers scored three runs before Jenkins collected a pair of strikeouts and fielded a grounder back to the mound for the final out.
Of Richmond’s 13 runs scored, only three were counted as an RBI — one each for Gainey, Gause and Jenkins.
The JV Renegades had five hits, led by Gainey’s two. Adding a hit each were Jenkins, Gause and Braden Baucom.
Richmond (3-3-2) will travel to Pinecrest High School on Wednesday for the second of its three games this week. Play will start at 4 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Tuesday’s win soon.
