ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School varsity baseball team played its first competitive game in nearly 14 months on Thursday.
Just five days before officially opening the 2021 spring campaign, the Raiders and second-year head coach Rob Ransom played Montgomery Central High School in a pre-season scrimmage.
Using the game to knock off the year-old’s rust, Richmond rolled to a 7-1 win. The two teams played a complete seven innings, before the Raiders played three additional innings in the field while the Timberwolves hit.
“We did some things that were good, and it was a good tune up for Tuesday,” Ransom said. “This gave us a chance to get some of the rust off and see what the guys could do in game situations.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been on the field, so we were really excited to be out there playing baseball,” he added. “I thought we dominated and it was a good showing by everyone, and all the guys got to play.”
The Raiders scored at least one run in five of the seven innings played, and scored two runs each in the bottom of the fourth and seven frames. Richmond collected six hits from five players, and junior infielder Alston Johnson had a team-high two hits, both doubles.
Using five pitchers in the scrimmage, the Raiders allowed just two hits against the Timberwolves and combined to strike out 11 batters. Junior Harley Honeycutt got the start on the bump, going two innings with one strikeout and two walks.
Johnson led off the bottom of the first with a double to the gap in left, and scored with two outs on an RBI single by junior Matthew Walker to center.
A 9-3 double play started by right fielder Michael Pettitt to first baseman Will Dawkins capped a quick top of the second inning. Dawkins took over on the mound in the third, tossing two innings while punching out four batters and allowing an unearned run.
Montgomery Central knotted the game in the third, using a dropped third strike to allow Coleman Burris (fielder’s choice) to score.
Junior Jude Howard responded in the home half with a one-out RBI single, which scored freshman Camron Seagraves (leadoff single) to put the Raiders up for good.
Richmond extended its lead to 4-1 with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Dexter Mabe (walk) raced home on a passed ball and junior Colin Wheeler scored Johnson (walk) with a sacrifice fly to right.
Seagraves entered the game on the mound in the top of the fifth, and gave up just one hit while striking out three batters in two innings of work. Pettitt made it a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring on another passed ball after reaching safely on a single.
Mabe and Johnson combined to plate the final two runs for the Raiders in the top of the seventh. Laying down a sac bunt, Mabe brought in junior Chandler Orr (error) and an at-bat later, Johnson roped his second double of the night, allowing junior David O’Neal to score from second.
Junior Cameron Way pitched the seventh and the eighth innings for Richmond, allowing no hits and punching out two batters. Howard capped the five-pitcher performance with two innings in the ninth and 10th, allowing just one hit and getting the final strikeout.
“There were five guys I wanted to throw tonight, and we kept each of them at two iinnings each,” Ransom explained. “I’m not looking for any of them to pitch more than 60 pitches the first first couple of weeks and they all did well tonight.
“Each pitcher has his strengths and weaknesses, but we gave up too many walks,” he closed. “Harley and Will started the game strong for us and Camron, who has a huge upside, got some work in.
“Cameron was very consistent, and Jude threw the last two innings. What we want them to do is throw strikes and compete when they’re out on the mound.”
Johnson was 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Howard, Pettitt, Seagraves and Walker accounted for the other hits, while Howard, Mabe, Walker and Wheeler each had one RBI.
The Raiders stole seven bases in the scrimmage, but committed five errors on defense.
The Richmond Observer will publish a full season preview ahead of Tuesday’s season opener, which will see the Raiders travel to Purnell Swett High School to begin Sandhills Athletic Conference play.
