FAYETTEVILLE — Following Tuesday’s rain out, the Lady Raider softball team headed to Seventy-First High School Wednesday for a rare doubleheader.
The Richmond offense would outscore the Lady Falcons 41-0 in the two five-inning mercy-rule games.
Senior Greyson Way had a lights-out performance in both games from the circle, while the freshman duo of Kenleigh Frye and Allyiah Swiney had big at-bats to help Richmond rebound from its first Sandhills Athletic Conference loss of the season last week against Lumberton High School.
GAME 1: Way no-hits Lady Falcons, Frye collects four hits
Richmond scored five runs in the first and fifth innings, and added six runs in the second frame to help secure a 19-0 win in the front end of the doubleheader. The Lady Raiders collected their other three runs in the third and fourth innings.
Way recorded her first no-no of the spring, tossing five complete innings while striking out seven batters. She was one walk away from a perfect game, and senior teammate and shortstop Savannah Lampley made a diving catch on the infield in the bottom of the fourth inning to keep the no-hitter intact.
Frye had the best night of her young career, slapping four hits in her four at-bats, all singles. She also added a career-high four RBIs and crossed home safely three times. She had a two-RBI single in the top of the first, an RBI single in the second and added her last in the fourth.
All 11 of head coach Wendy Wallace’s players made trips to the dish in the first game, with eight of them collecting at least one hit. Getting two hits each were Way and senior Taylor Parrish, while Lampley also recorded three RBIs.
Richmond got some help from Seventy-First’s pitcher Kayla Retsch, who walked 10 batters and hit seven more with a pitch. Lampley was plunked three times and junior Kayla Hawkins was hit twice.
Hawkins and Way each scored three runs, while Lampley and sophomore Paige Ransom crossed home safely two times each.
“Greyson pitched really good in both games, but especially the first,” Wallace said. “Seventy-First squeezed her in bottom of the first and she worked her way through it. She was able to work on some things tonight that we’ve been doing in practice.
“She was lights out and very efficient,” she added.
GAME 2: Swiney’s two grand slams, eight RBIs help sweep Lady Falcons
After not collecting a hit in the first game, Swiney showed out in Game 2, going 4-for-4 with two grand slams and a career-high eight RBIs. The two bombs cleared the left-field fence, the first as a part of a 10-run first inning, and the second in the top of the fourth.
Way would also launch a home run, a two-run blast to center in the top of the second, scoring junior Jasmine Ewing.
After scoring double-digit runs in the bottom of the first (Richmond was the home team in Game 2), the Lady Raiders tacked on four more runs in the second through fourth frames. In the circle for two innings each for the Lady Falcons were Uriel Nash and Alexis Stephens.
Seven Lady Raiders collected a hit, with Lampley going 2-for-2 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI. Way was 1-for-1 with three walks and three runs scored, and Ransom was 1-for-2 with a two-RBI base knock.
The Lady Raiders drew 17 walks in the second game, and saw Ewing and Hawkins also reach on HBP. Parrish went 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs.
Way allowed just one hit in the second game, a single in the top of the second, and struck out 10 batters.
“Kenleigh and Allyiah seemed really comfortable at the plate tonight,” Wallace said. “Allyiah hit two really good balls to left field for home runs, and Kenleigh hit it the hardest most consistently.
“I think this will help them going forward,” she concluded. “I tell them to keep swinging and the hits will come. I hope they take their good night tonight and it rolls over to the rest of the season.”
Richmond (13-2, 11-1 SAC) will return to action Thursday at home against non-conference Piedmont High School (8-7). First pitch is at 6 p.m.
