Home Local Sports Renegades win 4th straight game, prepare for CCSSL tournament

Renegades win 4th straight game, prepare for CCSSL tournament

ROSports File Photo: Landon Taylor throws a pitch during a summer league game in 2022. (Kyle Pillar, sports editor)

ROCKINGHAM — Landon Taylor was dialed in on the mound and at the plate during Richmond’s regular-season finale on Thursday.

Hosting Southern Lee, the Renegades secured a 10-2 win and extended their season-long winning streak to four games.

Taylor’s left-handed delivery kept Southern Lee’s batters off balance, as he threw 4.0 innings to get the win. He allowed two earned runs on two hits and struck out a batter.

Richmond used two relief pitchers, starting with Allen Taylor in the fifth and sixth frames. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in both innings and didn’t allow a run, gave up two hits and earned four strikeouts.

Ethan Locklear held down the final inning, facing four batters and retiring the side in order via the punchout after a leadoff error.

Trailing 2-1 after the first three and a half innings, the Renegades peppered the scoreboard with five runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth to break it open.

Landon Taylor sat Southern Lee down in order through the first two innings and scored Richmond’s first run in the top of the second.

A leadoff line drive single to left, one of Taylor’s team-high three hits, saw him get on base. He stole second, moved to third on a Jason Walker sacrifice bunt and scored on a passed ball.

Richmond rolled a double play to keep Southern Lee scoreless in the third, but a two-RBI single with two outs in the fourth put the visitors ahead.

Undoing the lead quickly, Richmond answered with its highest-scoring inning of the game. Locklear led off the home half with a single to left, stole second and advanced to third and scored following a pair of errors.

Three at-bats later, Taylor scored on another passed ball following his one-out double to right field to give the Renegades a 3-2 lead.

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The other three runs all came with two away, starting with Zane Searcy (walk) scoring following a walk to Walker. 

Allen Taylor drew a walk to put two runners on, and Walker scored on a double steal when courtesy runner Jullian Cline swiped second base.

Cline also scored on a steal of home plate, making it a 6-2 advantage heading into the fifth.

An inning later, a walk to Ethan Clayton, one of 10 drawn by Richmond, and singles by Isaac Hinshaw and Landon Taylor loaded the bases with one out. Cline recorded an RBI when he grounded into a fielder’s choice at short, scoring Clayton.

Hinshaw scored on another passed ball by a Southern Lee pitcher and Walker drove in Cline with an RBI single to right field. 

The Renegades’ final run came when Searcy (walk) scored on a wild pitch to the backstop.

Ashton Phifer added a hit in the win and Searcy’s three walks provided two runs scored. Also scoring twice were Cline and Landon Taylor.

The Renegades finished the regular season with an 8-2 record and will carry a season-long four-game winning streak into the Central Carolina Scholastic Summer League playoff tournament next week.

Head coach Rob Ransom said the tournament will be played at Fuquay-Varina High School, with Richmond set to play at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday (opponent to be determined). 

If the Renegades win, they will play for the CCSSL championship at 7 p.m.



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Kyle Pillar is a 22-time North Carolina Press Association award-winning sports editor with The Richmond Observer. Follow the sports department on X @ROSports_ for the best in-depth coverage of Richmond County sports.