ROCKINGHAM — With the infield in and “the fastest guy on the team” just 90 feet away from scoring the winning run in the 10th inning, senior Matthew Walker knew all he had to do was put the ball in play.
On a 1-0 offering from relief pitcher Kylan Ransom, Walker sent a hard ground ball to second to record the game-winning RBI in Richmond’s 6-5 thriller over Purnell Swett High School on Thursday.
Racing home from third and beating the throw to the plate was senior Alston Johnson, who drew a one-out walk two at-bats prior.
Erasing a one-run in the seventh inning to tie the game at 4-4 to force extra innings, the Richmond Raiders proved resilient by scoring two runs in the bottom of the 10th to earn the non-conference victory.
Getting the rally started was junior Jullian Cline, who entered the game in the top half of the final inning. He drew a walk and stole second base, which was followed by Johnson’s base on balls.
Senior Cameron Way celebrates after a single in the seventh inning. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Johnson and Way moved into scoring position on the relay throw from the right fielder, setting up Walker’s walk-off fielder’s choice.
A duo of pitchers went the distance for the Raiders, as senior Colin Wheeler started the game. He threw 5.1 innings and allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits, while striking out six batters.
Fellow senior Will Dawkins took over with one out in the top of the sixth inning with the Raiders trailing 4-3. He collected nine punchouts in his 4.2 innings of work, including striking out the first six batters he faced.
Dawkins allowed just one unearned run on one hit and didn’t face more than four batters in each inning he pitched.
Senior pitcher Will Dawkins struck out nine batters in 4.2 innings on Thursday. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
The Rams (5-3) took a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning, using an error, a hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch to score both runs.
Richmond responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead off starting pitcher Keithyn Hunt (6.1 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs). Junior Ashton Phifer reached on an error, which plated sophomore James Eason (fielder’s choice) for the Raiders’ first run.
Phifer stole second base, one of 16 stolen bases by the Raiders in the game, and scored on an RBI single to left field by fellow junior Ethan Locklear.
A stolen base and a wild pitch moved Locklear to third, who scored on an error following a Johnson grounder to third to take the lead.
With one out in the top of the sixth, Hunt singled home two runs with a line drive to center, giving the Rams a 4-3 advantage.
Junior Ethan Locklear connects on his RBI single in the fourth inning. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Answering the call no outs in the home half of the seventh, Walker tied the game with an RBI single. Way led off the inning with a single and stole second before scoring on Walker’s knock back up the middle.
The Raiders had the winning run in scoring position in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, but the Rams managed to escape each frame.
Richmond collected nine hits in the win, using two each from Locklear, Walker and Way. Eason, Wheeler and sophomore Camron Seagraves all had one hit.
Locklear and Way accounted for one RBI apiece and Walker’s two RBIs were a team-high.
Set to return to Sandhills Athletic Conference action on Friday, the Raiders (5-3, 1-3 SAC) will host Hoke County High School (0-9, 0-5 SAC). The varsity game will begin at 7 p.m.
Note: The Richmond junior varsity baseball team did not play on Thursday, but will play Hoke County on Friday.
