TROY — An early deficit didn’t distract the Lady Raider softball team from remaining undefeated on Thursday.
Stretching their winning streak to six games to open the season, the Lady Raiders unhinged an offensive clinic to earn the non-conference season sweep of Montgomery Central High School.
Plating all of their runs unanswered, the Lady Raiders cruised to a 9-1 win. It marked the fourth time in six games this spring the team has scored at least nine runs.
Senior Quston Leviner, who threw her sixth complete game of the season, limited the Lady Timberwolves to just four hits and one earned run. Leviner struck out five batters, bringing her season total to 40 Ks.
The Lady Raiders’ offense clicked into gear with a four-run third inning, adding two more in the fifth and capped the near mercy-rule win with a three-run top of the sixth.
Collecting 11 hits as a team, senior Macy Steen was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in. Junior Ryelan Lyerly kept her early hot streak at the plate going, swinging away for 2-for-4 at the dish with a homer and three RBIs.
Junior Katie Way was 2-for-2 at the plate with a pair of singles and added a walk, while junior Kady Harris notched two hits, including a double, in her four trips. Hitting safely one time each were Leviner and sophomore JaKayla Steele.
After stranding two runners in the top of the first, and sat down in order by pitcher Emma Parnell (7.0 IP, 11 hits, 10 Ks, nine earned runs) in the top of the second, Richmond faced a 1-0 hole after two complete.
Putting the Lady Timberwolves (4-4) up by a run was Hannah Nichols, using an RBI double to score Kenley Morse (hit-by-pitch).
A seven-batter top half of the third yielded four runs for Richmond, as Way drove a line drive RBI single to center to score junior Addy Hollingsworth (leadoff walk). Leviner (walk) moved to third.
Following a walk to senior Makayla Parks to load the bases, Steen started her offensive production with a two-RBI single to center. Connecting on a line drive, Steen brought in Leviner and Way, as she and Parks moved into scoring position on the throw.
Prior to Steele adding a single, Parks raced home on a passed ball to make it a 4-1 lead.
Leviner retired Montgomery Central in order in the third and faced just four batters in the fourth, using two strikeouts, two groundouts, a fielder’s choice and a flyout.
Steen led off the top of the fourth with a double to left, and moved to third when Lyerly reached safely on an infield single. Steele registered an RBI on a groundout to short, plating Steen and moving Lyerly to third.
Two pitches later, Lyerly made it a 6-1 advantage when Parnell threw a wild pitch to the backstop.
A quick bottom of the fourth featured just three batters despite a leadoff single. With Nichols on first, a 1-4-5-6 double play nabbed a sacrifice bunt attempt and got the unforced out at second.
With two on and two away in the top of the six, Lyerly took 1-1 offering from Parnell for a ride over the left field wall. Coming in to score ahead of Lyerly’s third homer of the season, tied with Parks for the team lead, were Way (hit-by-pitch) and Steen (single).
Comfortably ahead, Leviner faced just seven batters to record the final six outs over the next two innings.
Set to get back to Sandhills Athletic Conference play on Friday, Richmond (6-0, 3-0 SAC) will host Union Pines High School (3-4, 1-1 SAC) at 7 p.m.
JV Lady Raiders earn third straight win
Also playing at Montgomery Central on Thursday, the junior varsity softball team earned a 10-3 win, making it three in a row.
Played to four innings (time limit), the JV Lady Raiders scored at least 10 runs for the third straight game.
Maddie Pearson picked up another victory in the circle, throwing all four innings and allowing just one hit. She recorded nine strikeouts and gave up three runs (two earned).
Erasing a 2-0 hole in the top of the second, Richmond scored four runs and didn’t look back. With two outs, Hayden Robinson (single) and Addison Raines (walk) both scored on passed balls.
Mikayla English and Pearson drew loaded-bases walks to add two more runs in the inning.
A five-run top of the third broke it open, starting with Raines (walk) scoring on another passed ball.
With the bases loaded, Trinity Lockhart reached on an error to third and the miscue allowed Kennedy Fields (walk) and Jamesyn Quick (single) to score. Lockhart kept advancing on the error and eventually scored to make it 8-2.
English followed with a single in the next at-bat and later scored on another passed ball.
The JV Lady Raiders added their final run in the top of the fourth thanks to a passed ball, scoring Raines who led off with a double. Montgomery Central scored a run in the home half on a passed ball.
Improving to 3-0-1, the JV Lady Raiders will host Union Pines on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
