ROCKINGHAM — The sentences “Postseason baseball is here. 1 at a time.” captioned a hype video on the Richmond Raider baseball team’s social media accounts over the weekend.
With the 1-0 mindset approach, the Raiders and head coach Eric Brown took care of business Monday in the opening round of the Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament.
On its home field, No. 2 Richmond bounced No. 7 Hoke County High School 12-2 in six innings, completing the three-game sweep of the Bucks this season.
Extending their winning streak to four games, one shy of their season-long streak, the Raiders outlasted Hoke County in an early pitcher’s duel.
Neither team had a hit entering the fifth inning, but the Raiders’ bats came to life to score four runs in the fifth and eight runs in the sixth to advance.
Sophomore Evan Hodges put together another strong start on the mound and tossed Richmond’s fourth consecutive complete game victory.
Taking a no-hitter through 4.2 innings, Hodges ended the game with a line of two earned runs on three hits and seven strikeouts. He faced just five batters over the minimum and left three runners on base.
Opposite of Hodges, Hoke County starting pitcher Owen Autry impressed by taking a no-hit bid through four frames. Junior Jabari Douglas broke it up with a rolling bunt single down the third base line to start the fifth.
Autry allowed four runs on four hits. Throwing 1.2 innings of relief, Harvey Locklear surrendered eight runs on four hits and four free passes.
Through the first four innings, Richmond stranded four runners on base, including three in scoring position. But a commanding performance from Hodges filled the zone to keep the game scoreless.
Senior shortstop James Eason made a sliding stop up the middle and threw out a batter on a chopper in the infield for the first two outs of the fifth, saving would-be hits. Hoke County (2-21) managed its first hit a batter later, a single to right by Autry.
Douglas played small ball and sent a perfect bunt down the line to leadoff the home half of the fifth. Replacing him was senior courtesy runner Marquan Martin, who moved to third base. Junior Jeremiah Ritter drew a walk and stole second to get into scoring position.
In the next at-bat, junior Landon Taylor broke the scoreless game with a two-RBI single to left field, plating Martin and Ritter. Moving to second on the throw, Taylor moved 90 feet on another successful bunt single, this time by junior Jason Walker.
A passed ball on an offering from Autry scored Taylor to make it 3-0, and senior Isaac Hinshaw capped the four-run inning with an RBI single to right field.
Despite having the bases loaded with no outs, Richmond couldn’t score any more runs off Locklear, who entered the game after Hinshaw’s hit.
The Bucks scored their two runs in the top of the sixth inning to cut Richmond’s lead back to two runs. Dawson Spivey connected on a two-RBI single to center field.
Sending 10 batters to the dish in the home half, the Raiders walked it off in mercy-rule fashion, their second such win in as many games.
Singles by Ritter and Walker, along with a free pass to Hinshaw loaded the bases with one out. Sophomore Caden Nolan padded the lead with a two-RBI single on a liner to left field to make it 6-2.
Hodges reached on an error to reload the bases in the next at-bat, which was followed by a sacrifice fly to center by Eason. Trotting home was junior pinch runner Riley Brown, who was running for Hinshaw.
Leading by five runs, senior Zane Searcy recorded an RBI in a pinch hit appearance. He drew a bases-loaded free pass to score Nolan.
For the second time in as many games, Ritter helped end the ball game early. He chopped a two-RBI single up the middle, and a Hoke County throwing error emptied the bases to put the Raiders ahead 11-2.
Making it to third on the miscue was Ritter, who flashed his speed on a passed ball in the next at-bat to cross home plate safely to make it a 10-run advantage.
Taylor, Nolan and Ritter led the way with two RBI apiece. Hinshaw, Searcy and Eason each drove in one run.
The Raiders collected eight hits in the win, including two each from Walker and Ritter. Taylor, Douglas, Hinshaw and Nolan combined for the other four.
No. 2 Richmond (14-8) will have a quick turnaround and host No. 3 Lee County (16-9), which knocked out No. 6 Union Pines 7-6 in extra innings Monday.
The SAC tournament semifinal game will be played at Raider Field Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Monday’s win soon.
