ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School baseball team saw its regular season come to an end with the game-winning run at the plate on Thursday.
A four-run rally in the bottom of the fifth by Richmond tied the game, but the Raiders fell to Scotland High School by a final score of 6-5.
The Fighting Scots took a one run lead in the top of the seventh, and Richmond’s bats tried to even the season series with two outs in the final half inning.
Senior Matthew Walker, who reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second base safely with two outs. Following the steal, Walker was called out after he appeared to step off the bag, ending the game.
“The kids played hard, and it was a great high school baseball game,” head coach Rob Ransom said. “Scotland has a good team, and that’s a heck of a way to end the ball game. It’s disappointing and I like to see the kids play it out on the field and an official not make a call and end it like that.
“It was a great comeback by the guys,” he added. “James Eason pitched really well, and emotionally he gave us a lift after we came out a little flat. We turned it on in the fourth inning and had a burst of energy.”
Scotland (18-4, 10-2 Sandhills Athletic Conference) scored three runs in the top of the third off starting pitcher Camron Seagraves (4.0 innings, four runs, seven hits, five strikeouts).
But a sacrifice fly to center in the bottom half by senior Colin Wheeler made it a 3-1 deficit for Richmond. Tagging on the play was senior Alston Johnson, who drew a one-out walk.
Solo runs in the fourth and fifth frames by the Fighting Scots put them ahead 5-1. Sophomore James Eason relieved Seagraves at the start of the fifth inning, and he threw the final 3.0 innings. He allowed two runs on three hits and collected two strikeouts.
Richmond’s bats came alive in the bottom of the fifth, resulting in four runs off starting pitcher Bryant Kimbrell (4.1 innings, four runs, four hits) and reliever Alex Hatcher (2.2 innings, one run, one hit).
Kimbrell walked Ethan Locklear and Johnson, and gave up a single to senior Cameron Way to load the bases. With one out, Wheeler drew a bases-loaded walk off Hatcher to score Locklear.
In the next at-bat, Seagraves connected for a bases-clearing double to left field, scoring all three runs to tie the game at 5-5.
Scotland scored the game-winning run in the top of the seventh using a two-out single and an error.
Seagraves led the Raiders with three RBIs and Wheeler drove in two runs. Collecting hits were Way (two), Seagraves, Eason and junior Ethan Clayton.
Richmond (13-7, 5-7 SAC) is set to play in the Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament, which will start Monday.
The final conference seedings will be decided over the weekend, and the Raiders are currently tied with Southern Lee High School for fourth place, according to MaxPreps.
JV Raiders close season with sweep
Also playing Scotland for the second time in two nights, the Richmond junior varsity baseball team capped its season with another victory on Thursday.
Completing the series sweep of the JV Fighting Scots on the road, the JV Raiders earned a 13-0 mercy-rule win in five innings.
Richmond scored a run in the first, added five runs in the third, scored four more runs in the fourth and tacked on its final three runs in the fifth.
The JV Raiders and head coach Ryan Mercer finished the season with a 12-4 overall record and won 10 of their final 11 games.
Freshman lefty Landon Taylor threw a complete game one-hit gem for the JV Raiders, striking out five batters and only allowed two walks. He retired the first 10 batters he faced in order.
Each of Richmond’s starting nine players had at least one hit, and collected 12 hits as a team, including doubles by Jeremiah Ritter and Sam Thompson. Ritter, Mason Murray and Isaac Hinshaw led the way with two hits apiece.
Adding singles in the win were Taylor, Jason Walker, Riley Brown, Brooks Calhoun and Cain Hunsucker. Ritter’s two RBIs were a team-high, and Thompson, Hinshaw, Walker, Brown and Calhoun each had one RBI.
“I just want to start off by saying thank you to this group of guys,” Mercer said. “A lot of people after our first five games had given up on them, but they kept focused and kept working.
“Landon did a great job tonight on the mound, giving us a complete game and flirting with the no-hitter until two outs in the fifth. It feels great to go out and finish the season strong and win 10 of our last 11 games. I just can’t say enough about these guys. It was truly a pleasure to go out and battle with them every night.”
