SANFORD — A tough night at the plate on Tuesday resulted in the Richmond Raider baseball team’s first loss of the spring.
After starting the season with a pair of wins, the Raiders opened Sandhills Athletic Conference play with a 7-0 loss at Lee County High School.
The Raiders registered just two hits in the win — singles by senior Ethan Clayton and junior Isaac Hinshaw.
In the top of the fourth inning, Clayton led off with a base knock to right field, breaking up Pierce Bowman’s no-hit bid.
Throwing a complete game, Bowman only allowed two other base runners via the walk, Hinshaw and senior Ethan Locklear.
Richmond struggled at the plate, striking out 13 times, something head coach Rob Ransom said needs to be corrected.
Starting on the mound for Richmond was Locklear, who allowed six runs (four earned) on two hits and six walks through 2.1 innings. Locklear struck out four Cavaliers.
A leadoff walk to Cam Richey to start the bottom of the first saw him score on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.
Locklear retired the Cavaliers in order in the bottom half of the second, but Southern Lee broke the game open with five runs in the third inning.
Those runs came on two passed balls, an RBI triple by Bowman and two RBI groundouts.
Clayton’s single in the fourth was erased with an inning-ending double play, and the Raiders didn’t record another base runner until Hinshaw’s single to right field with two outs in the seventh.
Richmond used a pair of relief pitchers, starting with junior James Eason, who tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball. He also struck out two batters.
Sophomore Allen Taylor closed out the final 2.0 innings, giving up an unearned run on two hits with two Ks.
Southern Lee scored its final run in the fifth following an error, one of three miscues by the defense.
Richmond (2-1, 0-1 SAC) will return home on Wednesday to play non-conference Western Harnett High School (0-4) at 6 p.m.
That will be followed by another home game on Friday against Southern Lee (1-1, 1-0 SAC), set for 7 p.m.
Note: The Richmond junior varsity baseball team did not play on Tuesday due to no umpires. Head coach Ryan Mercer said the teams are working on a reschedule date.
