RAEFORD — A night after suffering their first loss of the season, head coach Wendy Wallace said her Lady Raiders were “eager” to get back out on the diamond.
On the road at Hoke County, Richmond returned to the win column with a 3-1 victory over the Lady Bucks. Although the bats didn’t explode like they had in the first nine games to start the season, the Lady Raiders completed the regular-season sweep of Hoke County.
The win put the Lady Raiders into double digits, while also remaining a perfect 8-0 against Sandhills Athletic Conference opponents. Since last losing to Scotland High School on April 12, 2016, the Lady Raiders have won 37-straight regular-season conference games.
“The girls were eager to get back at it after their loss,” Wallace commented. “I told them they have to have a quick memory. Any time when they don’t play as well as they should, they’re ready to get back and show they’re better than that.”
According to Wallace, the difference maker was senior Greyson Way’s performance in the circle. Way recorded the loss Thursday at Marlboro Academy, but bounced back to throw a complete game one-hitter, while only allowing one run and striking out 13 Lady Bucks.
“Greyson came out and commanded the zone early,” Wallace noted. “It was one of her best games all year. She hit her spots well and didn’t get behind in the count.
“That helped set the tone for us,” she added. “Ina (Womack) pitched a whole lot better against us than she did on Tuesday. It’s always good to bounce back, and we typically don’t play well at Hoke. But a win is a win.”
The Lady Bucks sent Kamryn Russell to the circle to start the game, and the Lady Raiders jumped on her early to score all three of their runs in the third inning.
Senior Savannah Lampley cranked a one-out single to right field, her second hit of the night, and scored in the next at-bat when sophomore Paige Ransom knocked an RBI single to right field.
Ransom moved up to second base on the relay throw home, allowing senior Taylor Parrish to dig in following a Way fly out. Parrish took advantage of a 2-1 offering from Russell, and sent a laser to center field for her team-leading eighth homer of the year.
Hoke County responded with its only run of the game in the home half of the inning, using a Kiya Locklear sacrifice fly to center field. That scored Tranyce Lester, who reached safely two at-bats earlier on a bunt single.
Womack replaced Russell in the top of the fourth inning, and from that point on, her and Way traded scoreless innings. Way retired the Lady Bucks in order in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, and just faced four batters in the sixth and seventh innings.
The only other time the Lady Raiders had runners on base in the final four innings was the top of the fifth, when Lampley (walk), Ransom (double) and Parrish (intentional walk) reached safely.
Parrish went 2-for-2 and her two RBIs were a game-high, and the 21st and 22nd of her season (also a team-high). Lampley went 2-for-3 at the plate, and Ransom finished 2-for-4 with a double. Junior Kayla Hawkins added two singles to complete Richmond’s eight-hit performance.
“Savannah bounced back with two hits and a walk, and Taylor and Paige stayed hot at the plate,” Wallace said.
“We have a two-game lead on Lumberton (High School) and need to go in and win both games next week,” she concluded. “Facing Jenna (Greene) and Ina this week will help us because we saw some velocity. We want to carry this win over to Lumberton, which should be a good battle.”
The Lady Raiders (10-1, 8-0 SAC) will travel to second-place Lumberton (7-3, 6-2 SAC) and face pitcher Morgan Britt on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
