ROCKINGHAM — For the second straight afternoon, the pitching for the junior varsity Richmond Renegade baseball team dominated play.
Earning an 8-0 win over Scotland in six innings (time limit), starting sophomore pitcher Allen Taylor and freshman Caden Nolan combined for a no-hitter.
It was the second combined no-hitter for Richmond over the past two summers, as Walker Lambeth and Cameron Way did it for the varsity team against Western Harnett last June.
Taylor threw 5.0 innings and struck out nine batters. He stranded six runners, retired the Scots in order twice and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth.
With the JV Renegades leading by eight runs to start the sixth, Nolan faced just five batters. A grounder back to the mound saw Nolan flip the ball to Tyler McKenzie at first to record the no-no.
Richmond scored three runs in the second, two runs in the third and its final three runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Evan Hodges drew a bases-loaded walk to record the first run, bringing in Riley Brown, who led off the inning and reached safely on an error.
Two at-bats later, Jason Gainey barreled a two-RBI single back up to middle to make it 3-0. Brooks Calhoun (walk) and Nolan (single) raced home.
Taylor had consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the second and third, which led to two more runs in the bottom of the third.
Keith Cummings hit a grounder to short and reached on an error, allowing Cameron Quick (walk) to score.
Jake Richardson beat out an infield single and later scored on a passed ball to give Richmond a 5-0 advantage.
The JV Renegades’ final three runs came in consecutive at-bats in the fourth. Calhoun recorded an RBI with a double down the left-field line, bringing home Michael Osentowski (hit-by-pitch).
Nolan recorded his second RBI of the game with a base knock to right, giving Brown (walk) the chance to score. The final run came courtesy of a Hodges sac fly to right.
Hodges and Gainey both had two RBIs to lead the team, and Calhoun and Nolan had one each.
Improving to 3-1, the JV Renegades will travel to Southern Lee on Tuesday and begin play at 4 p.m.
VIDEO INTERVIEW: Allen Taylor, Caden Nolan and head coach Ryan Mercer discuss Thursday’s no-hit win.
