Home Local Sports Power-hitting Lady Raiders mercy-rule Southern Lee

Power-hitting Lady Raiders mercy-rule Southern Lee

The Lady Raiders celebrate Quston Leviner (center) following her leadoff homer in Tuesday's win. (Contributed by Stacey Long Leviner)

SANFORD — From the second pitch of Tuesday’s Sandhills Athletic Conference opener, the  Lady Raiders’ bats came to do battle.

A season-high 12 hits, highlighted by a trio of home runs, paved the way to an 18-3 mercy-rule win in five innings at Southern Lee High School.

The Lady Raiders’ 18 runs were also a season-high, led by seniors Quston Leviner and Makayla Parks.

Both batters recorded three hits apiece, with two of Parks’ going for home runs and a team-high five runs batted in. 

Leviner added a leadoff homer on the second pitch of the game, while recording a double and four RBIs to go along with her third win of the season in the circle.

Richmond started with four runs in the top of the first inning off starting pitcher Albani Hooker, who went 4.0 innings and gave up 15 runs (12 earned) on 10 hits and eight walks.

Leviner cranked her first long ball of the year to make it 1-0. Following a single by junior Katie Way, one of her two hits, Parks dug in and launched a shot over the left field wall to extend the lead to 3-0.

Senior Macy Steen made it 4-0 when she drew a walk and later scored on a passed ball.

A rocky bottom half of the first, which saw two passed balls, three errors and an RBI single plate three runs four Southern Lee, was quickly put behind by Richmond. Leviner stranded two runners in scoring position with two of her seven strikeouts to end the threat.

Seven batters came to the dish for Richmond in the top of the second, which yielded another four runs to make it an 8-3 lead.

A leadoff walk to junior Addy Hollingsworth, coupled with a wild pitch, led to a run on a Leviner RBI single to center. Swiping second, Leviner raced home on an RBI base knock by Way in the next at-bat.

Steen kept the inning going by connecting on an RBI single to center. Way moved to third on the hit and scored on the throw, which gave Steen time to trot into second.

Later in the inning, junior Ryelan Lyerly lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, registering an RBI when Steen scored.

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A 1-2-3 bottom half of the inning from Leviner gave Richmond’s bats another chance to add four more runs in the top of the third.

Helping her own cause, Leviner smacked a two-RBI double to right field, plating junior Caroline Hunsucker (dropped third strike) and Hollingsworth (single).

An error allowed Leviner to score and Parks singled home Way (walk) to make the lead nine runs.

In the third and fourth innings, Leviner faced just four and five batters, stranding three total base runners.

A six-run top of the fifth by Richmond put the game away for good. Parks hit her second homer of the game, a towering shot to left field, scoring Way (walk). In the game, Way scored a team-high four times.

With one out and runners at first and second, junior Kady Harris smoked an RBI double to left field off relief pitcher Macie Lucas, scoring Steen (walk).

Hollingsworth picked up her second hit of the game and first two RBIs of the season with two outs, hitting a two-RBI single to right field on a line drive. Harris and junior Christi Jacobs (hit-by-pitch) scored.

Richmond’s final run came when Hollingsworth scored on a wild pitch two throws after her hit.

Facing five batters in the bottom of the fifth, Leviner stranded two more runners and recorded outs on a fielder’s choice, sac bunt and lineout.

The Lady Raiders (3-0, 1-0 SAC) have an away game at conference opponent Pinecrest High School (2-1, 0-0 SAC) on Thursday, set to start at 7 p.m.

Note: The Richmond junior varsity softball team (1-0-1) didn’t play on Tuesday and will play on Friday at Pinecrest.