FAYETTEVILLE — Continuing its hot tear to start the season, the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity baseball team earned another series sweep on Friday.
The JV Raiders mercy-ruled Jack Britt High School for the second game in a row, 12-0 in five innings, to take both ends of the two game set.
Friday’s win came after a 15-0 mercy-rule win over the Buccaneers on Tuesday.
Sophomore pitcher Walker Lambeth had another solid outing for Richmond, throwing a complete game shutout. The right-hander allowed just two hits, had no walks and punched out 10 batters.
Lambeth sat the JV Buccaneers down in order in the first, second and fifth innings, while allowing solo singles in the third and fourth frames.
“Walker pitched really well tonight,” head coach Corey Wallace said. “He had good speed on his fastball and located it really well, and complimented that with a really efficient curveball.
“Again, our guys continued to hit the ball really well,” he added. “We do need to work on some small things, like making smarter plays on the basepaths, but I’m pleased with how we played to get another series win.”
Freshman James Eason, who had a team-high two RBIs, rounds third in Richmond’s win. (Hannah Hinshaw)
Richmond scored three runs in both the second and third innings, before tacking on six runs in the top of the fourth.
With the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the second, sophomore Ethan Locklear (leadoff single) scored on a passed ball. Freshman Tyler Graham was hit by a pitch to reload the bases and another HBP in the next at-bat to freshman James Eason made it 2-0.
The JV Raiders’ final run in the frame came on an infield single to second base by freshman Isaac Hinshaw, which scored sophomore Bryce Goodwin (walk).
Locklear led off the third with a walk and moved to third on an error, and later scored on a passed ball. A single by Goodwin and a walk by fellow freshman Davis Faw put two on with one out.
Two at-bats later, Goodwin scored on a passed ball and Faw crossed home safely on an RBI knock by Eason to center to make it 6-0.
Freshman Davis Faw crosses home in the fourth inning of Friday’s mercy-rule win. (Hannah Hinshaw)
Jack Britt’s pitcher loaded the bases with two walks and a HBP to start the fourth, and freshman Vance Goodwin delivered with an RBI single to center, scoring Hinshaw (walk).
Faw barreled up a 2-2 offering in the next at-bat for his first RBI single of the spring, plating freshman Damon Bryant (HBP). Leading 8-0, Graham drew a bases-loaded walk to extend Richmond’s lead.
With Eason at the dish, Vance Goodwin and Faw would both score on passed balls. The JV Raiders’ final run came on a Lambeth sacrifice fly to right, scoring Graham.
Hinshaw led the way with two hits, while six other Raiders collected a hit. Eason’s two RBIs were a team-high, and five of his teammates each plated one run.
The JV Raiders (5-1) will travel to rival Scotland High School on Tuesday for the first of their two series with the Fighting Scots this season. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.
