ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School varsity softball team may not look the same as it has the last couple of seasons playerwise, but the standard of winning and the program’s expectations haven’t changed.
The Lady Raiders are set to begin their regular season on Tuesday, opening at Southwestern Randolph High School.
On the bucket this spring is first-year head coach Mike Way, who is looking to guide Richmond to its eighth straight conference title upon the departure of former head coach Wendy Wallace.
Announced in June as the new head coach, Way brings with him a wealth of knowledge about the sport, and has been around the program the last four years because of his now-graduated daughter Greyson Way. Assisting him will be Andy Shuler, a 2011 graduate of Richmond.
Richmond’s softball program has become synonymous with winning over the last decade, reaching the 4A West Regional Finals in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018. Over the past seven campaigns, Richmond has won at least 21 games each season, and is averaging 23.57 wins per season.
Last season, Richmond went 25-3 overall with a 13-1 record in conference play. The No. 1 Lady Raiders advanced to the third round of the 4A state playoffs before losing to lower-seeded Providence High School.
But the Lady Raiders will be without four-year starters in former shortstop Savannah Lampley and ace Greyson Way, as well as three-year varsity player Taylor Parrish. The trio was named to the NCSCA’s All-State team last year, while Lampley and Way repeated as the District 4 “Player” and “Pitcher of the Year,” respectively.
While the big boom of the bats, as well as the team’s starting pitcher the last two years, are now at the college level, Way is optimistic that the Lady Raiders can win — but following a different game plan.
“Of course we want to uphold the tradition of winning,” Way said. “We’re at Richmond Senior High School, the standard is the standard and it doesn’t change.
“It doesn’t matter whose faces are in those spots, we’re still expected to be one of the top teams in the conference and we’re still expected to win a lot of games,” he added. “While it is a different team, we’re going to rely on good defense, and we have a lot of speed and we’re going to use it.”
Way noted that the last couple of years have seen the Lady Raiders use a “power game” at the plate, blasting 53 and 55 homers in 2019 and 2018, as well as 142 doubles the past two years. While he expects there to be power in the lineup in 2020, he hopes to use more small ball, bunts and stolen bases to produce runs.
Returning bats include juniors Payton Chappell and Paige Ransom, who both hit seven homers last season and each batted above the .300 mark. Ransom returns as the team’s leading doubles producer (9), while sophomore Kenleigh Frye hit .293 with six doubles as a freshman.
Another adjustment the Lady Raiders will make is in the circle, as juniors Kearston Bruce and Ransom will pair up to split the pitching responsibilities. Greyson Way collected 47 wins the last two springs while also recording a 1.97 earned run average.
Ransom has not pitched at the varsity level, although this will be her third season with the team. Bruce, a Bridgewater College commit, makes the jump from junior varsity and salvaged the JV Lady Raiders’ season last year with six wins after dropping down from the varsity team to develop.
“They’re good compliments to each other,” Way said of Bruce and Ransom. “Their styles are similar but different. Paige gets a lot of ground balls and Kearston is more of a strikeout pitcher, and she works in a good combination of pitching to contact.
“We’re going to go about pitching a different way, which isn’t a bad thing,” Way said. “The last two years it’s been mostly Greyson. Now it will be more by committee this year. They both do things really well and it will depend on the matchup.”
He added that they are pitchers “one and one-a,” and will use both throughout the course of the season.
Around the infield, Way noted Chappell, a three-year starter, will be the defensive “staple” at third base. Filling the hole left by Lampley will be sophomore and Duke University commit Allyiah Swiney, who will shift to shortstop after playing center field as a freshman.
“Allyiah is such a great athlete, she could play anywhere on the field,” Way said. “There will be growing pains, but she’ll pick it up quickly and that’ll be a strength for us.”
Senior Madison Jordan will also move from the outfield into a starting role on the right side of the infield, playing either first or second base, depending on who pitches. Bruce is likely to play second base when Ransom is in the circle.
Sophomore transfer Taylor Waitley will take over the role as the team’s catcher, and has been a nice addition to the lineup. Spanning the outfield will be Frye in center, a change from second base last year, Ransom in right (when she’s not pitching), and sophomore Maylyn Wallace will start the year in left field.
That leaves freshmen Quston Leviner and Macy Steen, junior Shyann Byrd and senior Jasmine Ewing to be used off the bench.
Richmond will face tough SAC opponents in Jack Britt, Lumberton, Purnell Swett and Scotland high schools, which finished second through fifth in the conference last year. Lumberton snapped the Lady Raiders’ conference winning streak at 38 regular season games in 2019.
On the non-conference slate in 2020, the Lady Raiders have Anson, Piedmont, Southwestern Randolph and Uwharrie Charter Academy.
“We’re doing some fundamental things and basically trying to get comfortable with each other,” Way said. “We’re going into (the season) trying to win. You win seven straight conference championships, you try to make it eight.
“Until someone tells us we can’t, that’s what we’re going by,” he closed. “We’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”
The Lady Raider open their season Tuesday at Southwestern Randolph, with JV starting at 5 p.m. followed by varsity at 7 p.m. Richmond will also play Uwharrie Charter at home Wednesday and at Anson on Thursday.
