LAURINBURG — One bad inning saw a late-game lead come undone for the Richmond Renegade baseball team on Wednesday.
Playing for the first time in a week, the Renegades suffered a 10-4 loss on the road against Scotland.
Richmond held a 4-3 lead through four and a half innings, but a six-run bottom of the fifth and another run in the sixth secured the win for Scotland.
“We have got to do a better job at minimizing the big inning,” coach Corey Wallace said. “And as a team, we need to have better approaches at the plate.”
Richmond collected six hits in the game, including a pair of doubles by junior Isaac Hinshaw.
Juniors James Eason and Zavier Lowry each had a hit, and sophomore Landon Taylor and junor Davis Faw collected one hit and one RBI apiece.
The Renegades started the game with a run in the top of the first, seeing senior Ashton Phifer score on a wild pitch. He was running for starting pitcher Ethan Locklear, who was hit by a pitch with one out.
Scotland took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half and Richmond answered with two more runs in the second frame. Sophomore catcher Mason Murray reached via a walk, and Eason (courtesy runner) scored on a passed ball.
With one out, Faw lifted a sacrifice fly to center field. Tagging up on the play to score was Taylor, who also reached on a walk.
The game was tied by Scotland in the bottom of the third, and Richmond’s final run came in the top of the fifth.
Hinshaw led off the inning with a double to center, and scored two batters later when Taylor hit an RBI single on a line drive back up the middle.
Scotland’s six-run fifth inning saw the team capitalize on four hits, one walk and two errors. Locklear pitched 4.1 innings and allowed eight runs (five earned) on seven hits. He also had seven strikeouts.
Murray tossed the final 1.2 innings, giving up two runs on a hit and notched one strikeout.
With the loss, Richmond’s record is now 4-2 this summer. The Renegades will look to reenter the win column with a road game at Lee County on Thursday.
Richmond no-hit Lee County in the teams’ first meeting. Play is set to begin at 7 p.m.
