SANFORD — The Lady Raiders added two more conference wins to their record against Southern Lee High School on Friday.
Finishing a suspended game from earlier in March due to rain, Richmond also completed the regular-season series sweep of the Lady Cavaliers.
“The first game we pretty much put it away at home a month ago,” head coach Mike Way said. “In the second game, we pitched well and played pretty good defense. The girls did all the things we needed to do to take care of business.
“Each game, we’re trying to work toward everybody doing their part, and this was one of the best team games we’ve played,” he added. “The biggest thing is if we pitch and play defense like we did tonight, we can play with anybody.”
Way also noted the Lady Raiders were able to overcome some baserunning mistakes caused by him.
Game 1: Lady Raiders mercy-rule Lady Cavaliers
Resuming the game with one out in the bottom of the third and the Lady Raiders leading 11-3, Richmond scored seven more runs to win 18-3 in five innings.
Junior pitcher Quston Leviner earned the win, having started the game during its original start date. She went 4.0 innings and gave up three unearned runs on two hits. Fellow junior Makayla Parks pitched 1.0 inning and didn’t allow a hit.
At the plate, Richmond collected 11 hits and 15 RBIs, including home runs by Leviner (2), Parks and junior Macy Steen. Leviner finished the game with a team-high 6 RBIs, and sophomore Katie Way added 3 RBIs.
An RBI single from Leviner ended the third with Richmond up 12-3. The Lady Raiders added six runs in the bottom of the fourth.
A bases-loaded walk to Parks and a sacrifice fly by Way added two more runs with one out. Leviner laced a three-run shot to center in the next at-bat, and the final run came on a single to left by sophomore Ryelan Lyerly.
A 5-3-2 double play in the top of the fifth ended the game early for the Lady Raiders.
Game 2: Team effort secures second win over Southern Lee
In the second game, the Lady Raiders kept up the momentum to defeat Southern Lee 8-3. Richmond scored solo runs in the first and third frames, before adding six more runs in the fourth through sixth innings to ice the win.
Way had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Steen also had two hits and recorded one run driven in. Lyerly added a hit and an RBI and Parks drove in one run.
Senior Allyiah Swiney, who drew three walks and scored two runs, scored in the first on an error. A fielder’s choice ground out by Parks made it 2-0 in the third, plating sophomore Addy Hollingsworth (walk).
Lyerly drove in Steen (single) in the top of the fourth on a single to right, and later scored on a passed ball to extend Richmond’s lead. Hollingsworth also scored a run before an inning-ended double play to make it 5-0.
An inning later, Steen roped an RBI single to center, bringing in Parks, who led off the stanza with a walk.
Southern Lee (2-7, 1-6 SAC) scored all three of its runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Lady Cavaliers scored using an error, a single and a sacrifice fly.
Capping the scoring was Way, who hit a two-RBI double to right field, scoring Swiney (walk) and Parks (error).
Leviner pitched a complete game for Richmond, allowing three runs on eight hits and struck out eight batters.
The Lady Raiders (9-2, 6-2 SAC) will have a big week next week with two 4A conference games against Pinecrest and Hoke County. Richmond will play at Pinecrest on Tuesday and host Hoke County on Friday.
Earlier this season, the Lady Raiders run-ruled the Lady Patriots (4-7, 3-3 SAC) and lost in extra innings to the Lady Bucks (7-7, 4-2 SAC). Both games will start at 7 p.m.
Note: The Richmond junior varsity softball team didn’t play on Friday since Southern Lee didn’t field a team this spring.
