CAMERON, N.C. — Rising sophomore catcher Colin Wheeler helped the Richmond Senior High School Rattlers’ varsity baseball team power its way to a win on the road at Union Pines High School on Tuesday.
The left-handed hitting Wheeler crushed his first home run of the summer while also slapping a double to rack up a team-high three runs batted in. Richmond would make easy work of Union Pines, rolling the home team 11-1 in a five-inning mercy-rule win.
After posting a 1-2 record through the first three games of the 2019 Central Carolina Scholastic Summer League, the Rattlers evened their record with an 11-hit performance. Wheelers’ two hits in his two at-bats were accompanied by a 3-for-3 night from rising senior Dallas Cowick and two hits each from rising senior Luke Preslar (both doubles) and rising sophomore Alston Johnson.
Preslar also got the nod on the hill, making it his second start this summer. He went four innings and gave up a lone run on five hits. Rising junior Tyler Mabe made his summer debut in the fifth inning, striking out two batters to seal the win.
“Just like the JV team did tonight, the varsity guys played much better baseball,” head coach Ricky Young said. “Colin had a solid night at the plate and Luke did, too. Luke and Tyler both pitched well and had some good pitches to offer.”
After scoring a solo runs in the top of the first and second innings, Richmond hung a five-spot in the third and followed with four more runs in the fifth. Union Pines’ lone run came in the bottom of the second.
Preslar gave Richmond and himself an early lead with an RBI double to left field, scoring Cowick, who led off the game with a single to right field. On the third pitch of the top of the second, Wheeler went yard over the right field fence to give the Rattlers a 2-0 lead.
A Tony Gathings hit-by-pitch, a Cowick double and a Cameron Way walk loaded the bases, which started Richmond’s five-run third inning. A sacrifice fly by Preslar to right field scored Gathings, and Wheeler tallied his final two RBIs two at-bats later with a two-RBI double to left field.
Jaheim Harrington, who came in to run the bases for Wheeler, took advantage of an error in center to score another run. Michael Pettitt capped the inning with an RBI single into shallow right field, scoring Johnson (single) to give Richmond a 7-1 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Way (single), Preslar (double) and Harley Honeycutt (walk) loaded the bases with no outs. Blake Hall was plunked by a pitch to score Way, and Harrison Chance followed suit with a four-pitch walk to bring in Preslar.
To end the Rattlers’ scoring, a pair of wild pitches by Union Pines’ pitcher allowed Honeycutt and Hall to trot home safely. Mabe came in during the bottom half of the inning and shut the door on Union Pines to end the game early.
Preslar helped himself earn the win on the mound with two RBIs, while Chance, Hall and Pettitt each recorded one of his own.
The Rattlers will be back on the diamond Wednesday when they host Union Pines in the series finale. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
