ROCKINGHAM – Through three Sandhills Athletic Conference games in the last six days, the Richmond Lady Raiders softball team has tallied 38 runs, 33 hits, 10 doubles, four home runs and three mercy-rule wins.
Oh, and following Tuesday’s 10-0 win over visiting Pinecrest High School, added to the list are two firsts: junior pitcher Greyson Way’s first career no-hitter and freshman Paige Ransom’s first career home run.
It’s been a pretty good stretch lately for the Lady Raiders, who improved to 3-1 on the season, and 3-0 in SAC play.
Way, who has pitched every inning through the team’s first four games, improved to 3-1 on the year behind five more innings of solid work. She was efficient from the rubber, throwing only 56 total pitches, 41 of which for strikes. She struck out eight batters on the night, bringing her season total to 34, and lowered her ERA to 1.59.
Aside from a lone walk in the top of the first inning, Way sat the Lady Patriots down in order the rest of the game.
“It feels really good to see all the hard work paying off, but I couldn’t do it without my teammates behind me on the field,” Way said following her big night on the mound. “Obviously, it would be awesome to strike everyone out, but that hardly happens in this sport at this level. So when (batters) put the ball into play somewhere, I have eight people on the field with me that I trust. I just have to step up and keep doing my part for the team.”
Way in action during her first career no-hitter Tuesday.
“Greyson did really well tonight,” said assistant coach Shellie Wimpey, who coached in the absence of head coach Wendy Wallace (illness). “She started out strong (tonight). In the first couple games, she’s given up a hit or two, or a run in the first inning. But she was strong the entire game tonight.”
The Lady Raiders’ bats were patient in the bottom of the first inning, as Savannah Lampley, Owen Bowers and Way drew walks to lead off the game against Gracie Hough. Sophomore Kayla Hawkins would bring in the eventual game-winning run on a sacrifice fly to left field, plating Lampley.
Lampley, who would bump her season batting average up to .417 following a two-single performance, got her first one with two outs in the top of the second inning. Bowers came to the plate next and on an 0-1 count, blasted her first home run of the season (and No. 22 of her career) way over the left field wall, giving Richmond a 3-0 lead. There was so much power behind her swing that she actually split the cover of the ball on impact.
Richmond would add three more runs in the third inning to push the score to 6-0. A leadoff walk to Hawkins, followed by a Brianna Baysek double, put two on with no outs. After a pop up out, freshman right fielder Ransom dug in at the plate. On a 1-1 count, Ransom made pure contact “on a fastball right down the middle” of the plate, and bee-lined it straight over the center field wall, the first of her career.
The Lady Raiders weren’t done yet, as they hung another three-spot in the fourth inning. Way got things started with a one-out double. Hawkins was plunked in the next at-bat, and both runners advanced on a passed ball to Baysek. In the same at-bat, Baysek hit a hard grounder to the shortstop, and in a wild series of events, would reach first safely on a fielder’s choice.
Instead of throwing the ball to first for the force, Pinecrest’s Hailey Sales tried to tag a passing Hawkins but missed. However, Way was still at third, causing a jam up on the base paths. Sales threw the ball home attempting to cut off Way (who never advanced), allowing Hawkins to retreat to second safely, loading the bases.
Taylor Parrish came up to the plate and delivered with a line-drive single to left field, scoring Way and advancing the other runners to second and third. Sophomore Madison Jordan, who entered the lineup for Ransom, smashed a two-RBI double to center field to make it 9-0.
Baysek would end the game on a bloop single to left field with two outs in the fifth, her team-leading sixth hit of the year, scoring Lampley from third.
“I thought the offense did a really good job coming together,” Wimpey said. “Madison did a good job to score two when I put her in. They did a good job sitting back and waiting on the ball. Some of (the players) are inconsistent – one thing we need to work on is staying consistent and looking good in every at-bat.”
Baysek and Lampley led the team with two hits apiece, while Ransom tallied a Lady Raiders-best three RBIs. Bowers and Jordan followed with two RBIs each.
The Lady Raiders will head to Southern Pines Friday to face the Lady Patriots (2-2, 2-1 SAC) on their home field. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
