ROCKINGHAM — Making quick work against its opponent on Monday, the No. 2 Lady Raider softball team is headed to the second round of the Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament.
Hosting winless No. 7 Lee County High School, Richmond advanced to the tournament semifinals with a 13-3 mery-rule win in five innings.
Completing the three-game sweep of Lee County (0-13, 0-13 SAC) this season, the Lady Raiders used eight hits, including four home runs, to secure the victory.
Going yard were senior Kenleigh Frye (twice), senior Allyiah Swiney and junior Quston Leviner.
Scoring in every inning, the Lady Raiders dotted the scoreboard with three runs in the first, another in the second, three runs in the third, two more in the fourth and walked it off with four runs in the fifth.
Leviner started in the circle and reentered to pitch in the top of the fifth, earning the win after throwing a total of 4.2 innings. She didn’t allow any runs and gave up just two hits and added seven strikeouts.
After stranding two runners in the top of the first inning, the Lady Raiders scored their first two runs on a Frye two-run homer to left field.
Scoring on Frye’s trip around the bases was Swiney, who led off the inning with a walk. It was the first of three runs scored by Swiney in the win.
Following a single by sophomore Katie Way and a double by Leviner, junior Macy Steen brought in a run following a Lee County error. Hitting a grounder to short, Steen reached safely and also scored Way.
A one-out home run by Swiney in the top of the second made it a 4-0 lead, as her second longball of the spring towered over the wall to straight away center field.
Senior Allyiah Swiney high-fives head coach Mike Way after her solo homer. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Sophomore Ryelan Lyerly joined the RBI parade in the home half of the third, scoring Steen (hit by pitch) on a one-out fielder’s choice to short. Lyerly reached safely to put runners on the corners.
Adding to the lead was sophomore Christi Jacobs (walk), who scored on an error by the catcher. Lyerly extended the lead to 7-0 when she stole home thanks to some smart baserunning by Swiney (walk), who got out of a run down and stole second base.
Richmond’s third homer of the game came courtesy of Leviner in the bottom of the fourth, a two-run blast with one out to left-center. Crossing the plate ahead of her was Way, who drew a walk.
Junior Makayla Parks took over the pitching duties in the top of the fifth, and allowed three runs on two hits. Leviner returned to the circle to get the final two outs on a strikeout and a line out.
Needing four runs to end the game early, the Lady Raiders sent just four batters to the plate to take care of business. A Lyerly double and back-to-back walks to sophomore Addy Hollingsworth and Swiney loaded the bases.
Lyerly and Hollingsworth both scored on the same passed ball to make it an 11-3 lead. Digging in was Frye, who launched her team-leading sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot to center field.
Frye’s three-hit and four-RBI night led Richmond in both categories, and Leviner added two RBIs on two extra-base hits. Swiney and Lyerly each had one hit and one RBI apiece, and Steen collected one RBI.
Junior Quston Leviner earned the win and hit a two-RBI homer in Monday’s win. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
The No. 2 Lady Raiders (13-4, 10-3 SAC) will host No. 3 Hoke County High School (15-10, 9-4 SAC) for the second round of the conference tournament on Tuesday. The Lady Bucks defeated No. 6 Southern Lee 9-1 on Monday.
Richmond suffered two regular-season losses to the Lady Bucks, including one in extra innings. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
