RAEFORD — Ending a three-game losing streak, the Richmond Senior High School baseball team collected its first Sandhills Athletic Conference win of the season on Tuesday.
Needing a win to keep their playoff chances alive, the Raiders defeated fellow 4A conference foe Hoke County High School 11-5.
Trailing by a run after four innings, the Raiders put together a productive final three innings to score eight runs to secure the win.
Junior pitcher Walker Lambeth earned the win on the mound, tossing six innings against the Bucks. He allowed five runs (one earned) on two hits and struck out three batters.
Lambeth retired Hoke County in order in the fourth and fifth innings, and senior Cameron Way closed the door with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh. Way collected two strikeouts in his relief appearance.
“We had a slow start and gave up three runs in the first inning,” head coach Rob Ransom said. “But then we got some good pitching from Walker after the first two innings.
“We used some big hits from the middle of the order to turn the momentum in the fifth inning. After that, we were able to pad the lead a little and give ourselves some breathing room.”
The Bucks (0-9, 0-5 SAC) took a 3-0 lead in the first, but Richmond cut the deficit with two runs in the top of the second. An infield single by senior Alston Johnson scored sophomore Camron Seagraves (walk), and sophomore James Eason (single) stole home.
A sac bunt by Hoke County made it a 4-2 lead in the third, but Seagraves made it a one-run game again when he scored on a passed ball a half inning later. He reached safely on a single, one of his two hits in the game.
Stirring up some two-out magic in the top of the fifth, the Raiders managed to break the game open by scoring four runs and take the lead for good.
Senior Colin Wheeler had an RBI single to start the rally, bringing home Way (single). In the next at-bat, junior Ethan Clayton doubled home a run to give Richmond a 5-4 lead.
An error committed on a Seagraves grounder plated Clayton, and Seagraves scored before the inning was over on another Hoke County error.
Leading 7-4, the Raiders scored three more runs in the sixth, all with two outs. A sac fly by Way brought home senior Jude Howard (leadoff single), senior Matthew Walker added an RBI triple to right and an error on a fly ball saw Walker score safely.
After allowing a run to the Bucks in the home half, Richmond’s final run came courtesy of an error in the top of the seventh.
Eason, Seagraves and Walker all had two hits, with Seagraves (double) and Walker (triple) going for extra bases. Six other Raiders had one hit each to tally 12 hits against the Bucks.
Five players had one RBI — Johnson, Way, Walker, Clayton and Wheeler. Seagraves scored a game-high four runs.
Ransom added that “better pitching” later in the game and “only committing two errors” helped the Raiders to the win.
“This is a tough conference to play in, and there are no off nights. We’re glad to get a win when we could get one,” Ransom said. “I have to give credit to my coaches who have been working really hard at keeping our confidence up.”
The Raiders (4-3, 1-3 SAC) will play a non-conference game against Purnell Swett High School at home on Wednesday. Varsity action will begin at 7 p.m.
JV Raiders return to win column
Playing at home on Tuesday, the Richmond junior varsity baseball team blanked Hoke County 12-0 in five innings.
Freshman Landon Taylor threw a complete game shutout and allowed just two hits. He also struck out eight batters, while adding two hits at the plate and recording two RBIs.
The JV Raiders scored a run in the first, six runs in the second, a solo run in the third and added their final four runs in the fourth.
Three other players had two RBIs in the game — Isaac Hinshaw, Mason Murray and Jason Walker. Cain Hunsucker added two hits to Richmond’s 12 total hits, and scored two runs, and Jeremiah Ritter recorded one hit and one RBI.
“Tonight was a good team win,” head coach Ryan Mercer said. “We took advantage of their mistakes and capitalized. I told the guys things were going to turn around for us and we have to use tonight as the start of it.
“Landon did a great job setting the tone on the bump and finishing what he started with a complete game. I’m proud of the hustle we showed, and anytime you can steal 15 bases you’ll take it. Now we have to keep this momentum rolling into tomorrow and take it one game at a time.”
The JV Raiders (3-3, 1-3 SAC) will also play at home on Wednesday against Purnell Swett, starting at 5 p.m.
