SANFORD 一 Big offensive performances from Matthew Walker and Ethan Locklear fueled the Richmond Renegades’ win during Thursday’s season finale at Lee County.
Earning a 16-3 win in seven innings, Richmond swept Lee County and ended its Central Carolina Scholastic Summer League campaign on a seven-game winning streak.
Walker, a rising senior, collected a team-high five hits, while rising junior Locklear added four of his own. The two combined for eight RBIs, five from Locklear and three by Walker.
Richmond tallied 16 hits across eight players, and five Renegades contributed to the 12 RBIs in the win. Rising junior Walker Lambeth had a two-hit performance and rising sophomore Cain Hunsucker recorded two RBIs.
After falling behind 1-0 following the first inning, Richmond’s bats came alive to score seven runs in the top of the second. Four runs in the third, another in the fourth and four more in the seventh capped the 13-run win.
With the bases loaded, an error on a Jullian Cline grounder scored Lambeth (single). In the next at-bat, Hunsucker roped an opposite field single to right, plating Bryce Goodwin (error) and Dexter Mabe (error).
A single by Ashton Phifer loaded the bases again and Locklear got his night started with an RBI infield single to short, scoring Cline. Walker followed in the next at-bat with a two-RBI single, bringing in Hunsucker and Phifer.
Locklear scored on an error to end the inning and put Richmond up 7-1.
Matthew Walker (8) had a team-high five hits and added three RBIs in Thursday’s win. (Hannah Hinshaw)
Lee County got two back in the second off of Lambeth, who started on the mound for the Renegades. Lambeth threw six innings of work and allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits. He also struck out 10 batters.
Locklear added to his strong offensive showing by pitching the final inning, allowing two hits and registering two strikeouts.
Back-to-back one-out doubles from Locklear and Walker in the top of the third put Richmond ahead by eight runs. Locklear brought in Phifer (walk) and later scored on Walker’s double.
Walker scored on an error at short and Goodwin plated Hinshaw (single) with a double to left field.
Phifer drew a walk and later scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth to make it a 12-3 lead.
Putting an exclamation point on the win was a bases-clearing three-RBI triple from Locklear in the top of the seventh. Sending the ball to right field, he scored Mabe (walk), Cline (single) and Phifer (hit-by-pitch).
Richmond’s final run was scored by Locklear, who crossed home on an error, one of Lee County’s six in the game.
Registering one hit each were Phifer, Hinshaw, Goodwin, Cline and Hinshaw. Goodwin and Cline also had one RBI apiece.
The Renegades started the summer with three straight losses to Scotland, but rolled with sweeps against Western Harnett, Southern Lee and Lee County to end the campaign 7-3.
