LAURINBURG — A combination of early run support, another complete game on the mound and timely scoring in the later innings, fueled a series-opening win for the Richmond baseball team Tuesday.
Beginning their final two-game series of the regular season, the Raiders coasted past Scotland High School 11-6.
Using 15 hits, which tied the team’s single-game high this spring, Richmond gave senior pitcher James Eason plenty of run support.
Eason, who has been lights out this season on the bump, turned in another strong performance against Richmond’s longtime rival. Making his ninth start, he threw a complete game, his sixth complete game this season.
Collecting his sixth win, Eason allowed just one earned run on seven hits. He struck out three Fighting Scots, walked a batter, finished the game on 105 pitches and didn’t let four defensive errors rattle his cage.
In his seven innings of work, Eason retired Scotland in order in the first, third and sixth frames.
The Raiders peppered the scoreboard against starting pitcher Garrett Manning (five innings, nine runs, 11 hits, four walks), beginning with a five-spot in the top of the first inning.
Loading the bases on the first three batters, junior Landon Taylor reached on an error, junior Jason Walker got the first of his game-high four hits (all singles) on a bunt single and senior Isaac Hinshaw was hit by a pitch.
Batting cleanup, sophomore Caden Nolan moved everyone 90 feet and scored Taylor with a sacrifice fly to left field. Nolan finished the game with three hits, including a double, and two runs batted in.
An RBI single on a ground ball to left field by sophomore Evan Hodges in the next at-bat made it 2-0 when Walker scored.
Eason, who had three hits and a game-high three RBI, dug in with one out and helped his cause with a two-RBI double to the warning track in right field. Trotting home safely were Hinshaw and senior courtesy runner Marquan Martin (running for Hodges).
With two outs and runners on the corners, junior Jabari Douglas (walk) used some smart base running to get caught in a rundown between first and second long enough to allow freshman Collin Hill (bunt single) to swipe home and make it 5-0.
A leadoff single by the Scots in the home half was erased by a ground out and a 1-3-6-5 double play. Eason threw to Hinshaw for the force at first and a heads up throw by Hinshaw to Nolan started a run down between second and third.
Douglas caught the first ball from Nolan and made a diving tag on Dawson Williams for the second out. A grounder to Douglas in the next at-bat ended the inning.
Two singles and two errors in the bottom of the second led to Scotland’s first run. A sacrifice fly with one away yielded another run to cut Richmond’s lead to 5-2.
With two outs and runners on first and second in the top of the fourth, Nolan delivered again to score another run. He singled on a hard ground ball to left field, plating Walker (single) from second base.
Scotland plated another run on a dropped third strike in the home half, but the Raiders answered with two more runs in the top of the fifth.
Hodges and Eason both singled to start the inning, and with two away and courtesy runners Martin and Conner Phifer in scoring position, junior Jeremiah Ritter joined the hitting parade.
Ritter darted an RBI single deep in the pocket at short to score Martin. A good read by Phifer on a passed ball saw him slide under the tag and make it 8-3.
Three runs by Scotland in the bottom of the fifth made it interesting, but Richmond drew leadoff walks to start the sixth to end Manning’s night.
Pitching in relief, Robbie Peed (two innings, two runs, four hits) got the next two batters out, but Eason kept the inning alive with his third RBI of the game when he poked a single the opposite way to right field, scoring Walker (walk).
Nolan (single) used a passed ball two pitches later to beat Peed to the plate and score the Raiders’ 10th run.
A fly out, ground out and pop out by the Scots in the bottom of the sixth saw the home team go in order.
Walker capped his career night by bouncing an RBI single back up the middle with two outs in the seventh, scoring Taylor (single) for a late insurance run.
Down to his final 10 pitches, that’s all Eason would need to end the game in the home half. Despite allowing runners on first and second, Eason struck out Logan Adner for the final out of the game.
The Raiders (11-8, 7-3 SAC) will host the Fighting Scots (8-9, 5-6 SAC) Thursday at 7 p.m. in the series finale.
It will also be senior night for Richmond’s five senior players — James Eason, Isaac Hinshaw, Cain Hunsucker, Marquan Martin and Zane Searcy.
JV Raiders lose close game
A back-and-forth game in the middle innings ended in a 10-8 loss for the Richmond junior varsity baseball team Tuesday to Scotland.
The JV Scots led 3-0 heading to the bottom of the second. Richmond scored a run in the bottom half and cut into a five-run deficit an inning later with four more runs.
Scotland used three runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to distance itself for good. Richmond attempted a rally with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth.
Steve James pitched 4.2 innings and allowed eight earned runs on 14 hits and struck out three batters. Preston Fann threw the final 2.1 innings and held the JV Scots to a run on two hits.
Andrae Streeter scored Richmond’s first run on a passed ball, Fann added a run on an RBI single and a two-RBI double by James cut the deficit to two runs.
Also in the bottom of the third, Colton Brown scored James on a sacrifice fly to make it a 6-5 game.
Jake Veach, who doubled with one out in the bottom of the fourth, scored on a passed ball. Trailing 9-6, Jakob Trexler reached safely on an infield single to short and scored Streeter (walk).
Crossing home for Richmond’s final run was Jason Gainey (walk), who used his speed to score on a passed ball.
The JV Raiders (0-10-1, 0-7-1 SAC) will end their season Thursday on the road at Scotland. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.
