SANFORD — The Richmond Senior High School baseball team couldn’t complete the season sweep of Lee County High School Friday.
On the road for the second game of the Sandhills Athletic Conference regular-season series, the Raiders suffered a 16-4 loss in six innings.
Despite jumping ahead 3-0 through the first inning and a half, Richmond surrendered five runs in the bottom of the second.
The Yellow Jackets scored in each inning between the third and sixth frames, including five runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game early.
Richmond was held to just four hits. Junior Landon Taylor had a double, while seniors Isaac Hinshaw and James Eason, along with junior Riley Brown, each had a single.
Eason, Taylor and sophomore Caden Nolan all had one run batted in.
The Raiders loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first and Eason made it 1-0 with a ground ball single back up the middle. Senior courtesy runner Marquan Martin, running for sophomore catcher Evan Hodges (walk), scored.
Building its lead to 3-0 in the top of the second, Richmond used an RBI double from Taylor and a Nolan sacrifice fly.
Facing starting pitcher Andrew Stanfield (three innings, three hits, three runs), Taylor gashed his two-bagger to right field and scored Brown (leadoff single).
In the next at-bat, Nolan lifted his sacrifice fly to center, plating junior Jabari Douglas (walk).
Junior Jason Walker started on the mound for the Raiders and threw two and one-third innings. He gave up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts.
Richmond used a total of five pitchers in the game. Following Walker was junior Jeremiah Ritter (one and two-thirds innings, one run, one hit).
Nolan threw an inning and allowed three runs on a hit, while junior Conner Phifer surrendered four runs on no hits when he took over to start the sixth inning. Closing it out was Brown, who gave up a run on one hit.
The Raiders tallied their fourth run in the top of the fifth. Eason reached safely on an error at short, giving Taylor (leadoff walk) time to score from second base.
Richmond (10-6, 6-3 SAC) is set to pause from conference action Saturday and host Mooresville High School (3-14) for the program’s inaugural Alumni Day.
Richmond will recognize the 1974 4A state championship team ahead of first pitch at 2 p.m. A pre-game alumni tailgate will start at 11 a.m. in the field house parking lot.
Sports editor’s note: The Richmond junior varsity baseball team didn’t play Tuesday and will return to action Saturday at home against Mooresville at 11 a.m.
