LAURINBURG — Opening their final Central Carolina Scholastic Summer League series on the road Wednesday, the junior varsity Richmond Renegade baseball team came undone late.
Meeting the Scotland Stripers for the third time in as many games, the JV Renegades fell short 9-7 in five innings (time limit).
Despite taking a 7-2 lead after the first two innings, Richmond allowed a seven-run bottom of the fourth.
Early on, the JV Renegades gave starting pitcher Michael Osentowski (3 IP, six runs, three hits, three strikeouts) a good cushion.
A wild pitch and two passed balls saw the JV Renegades jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first. Scoring were Jake Veach (walk), Preston Fann (walk) and Jason Gainey (single).
Osentowski made quick work in the bottom half, facing just four batters. That paved the way to a four-run top of the second to make it 7-0.
Three straight one-out walks loaded the bases for Richmond, and another free pass to Drew Gause plated Keith Cummings.
Tristian Chavis, who delivered the game-winning RBI on Tuesday, kept his bat hot with a two-RBI double to left field. Racing home were Chase Woody and Adan King.
Richmond’s final run of the inning scored when Elijah Shepard reached on an error to second base.
Scotland got on the board with a two-RBI triple in the bottom half. The JV Renegades stranded two base runners in the third and went down in order in the fourth.
The JV Stripers used an RBI triple, an error and an RBI double to cut their deficit to 7-5 in the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back RBI singles tied the game with one away.
Replacing Osentowski on the mound was Woody, who allowed three runs on two hits in his inning of work.
A hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, along with a fielding error, accounted for Scotland’s final two runs.
Looking to rally in the fifth, Gause got on base with one out, but a pair of strikeouts ended the game.
Fann, Gainey and Chavis accounted for one hit apiece in the loss. Chavis’ two RBI were a team-high, as Gause and Shepard added one each.
The JV Renegades (5-5-2) will close out their summer season at Scotland on Thursday, beginning at 4 p.m.
