Home Local Sports Raiders notch season-high 7 wins in victory over Hoke County

Raiders notch season-high 7 wins in victory over Hoke County

Sophomore Karym Ojeda returns a ball during his singles match win against Hoke County Thursday.
Kyle Pillar — The Richmond Observer.

ROCKINGHAM — Thursday’s Sandhills Athletic Conference match against Hoke County High School was a big test for the Raider tennis team.

It was one that Richmond passed, defeating the Bucks 7-2 to even their SAC record and snap a two-match losing streak.

It was the Raiders’ biggest margin of victory on the season, as their only other with was a 5-4 edging of Purnell Swett High School last Tuesday. Four singles players won their respective matches, also a season high, while all three doubles teams earned a win.

“Today was a big confidence booster for us,” head coach Patrick Hope said. “It also brings us back to .500 with three more matches in the first leg of conference play to go. Our kids are getting more comfortable with their rackets and are starting to play to their strengths.”

The No. 2 through No. 5 Raider singles players came out winners, while Hoke County’s No. 1 and No. 6 players beat their Richmond opponents.

No. 2 sophomore Bradford Pittman started things off with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over TJ Osorio, while No. 3 senior Mason Bailey took down J. Soto 6-1, 6-0. In Tuesday’s loss to Jack Britt High School, Bailey had the lone singles match win. Thursday’s victory made it his third of the season.

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Also picking up a win was No. 4 sophomore Karym Ojeda, who outdueled A. Khantivong 6-2, 6-1. Rounding out the singles wins was sophomore Alex Yates, who defeated M. Kilgore 6-0, 6-3.

Richmond’s No.1 Kevin Campos lost in a closely-contested marathon match to G. Williams 3-6, 6-7. Seeing his first action of the season due to an absent Caleb Brewer was No. 6 senior Adam Morrison, who fell to J. Guzman 3-6, 2-6.

The No. 1 doubles team of Campos and Pittman emerged victorious over Williams and Osorio in the longest team match, 9-7. Hope paired Bailey and Morrison in the No. 2 doubles match, and the duo held off Soto and Khantivong 8-6.

Ojeda and Yates blanked D. Gibson and O. Capote in the No. 3 doubles contest 8-0 to finish the day.

Richmond (2-4, 2-2 SAC) will look for another win when it continues SAC play at Lumberton High School on Tuesday at 4 p.m.



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Kyle Pillar is a 22-time North Carolina Press Association award-winning sports editor with The Richmond Observer. Follow the sports department on X @ROSports_ for the best in-depth coverage of Richmond County sports.