Home Local Sports ‘Outstanding’ pitching by Parris, Anderson leads Raiders to season-opening win over Anson

‘Outstanding’ pitching by Parris, Anderson leads Raiders to season-opening win over Anson

Alex Anderson (5) trots home on a Brett Young sac fly in the fifth inning of Wednesday's win over Anson.
Shawn Weigman — The Richmond Observer.

WADESBORO — Spring baseball is officially back for the Richmond Senior High School baseball team, and no matter how it looked at Wednesday’s opener, a win is a win.

Heading across the Pee Dee River to open their 2019 campaign at Anson High School, the Raiders used a lights-out pitching and defensive performance to earn a 3-0 win. It marked the seventh-straight time Richmond has defeated the Bearcats dating back to 2006.

In the last 10 season openers, the Raiders have allowed two or fewer runs in eight of those contests. Wednesday’s win made it the sixth time in the last decade Richmond has held its first opponent of the season to one run or less.

“I told the guys after the game it’s a lot better to be 1-0 than 0-1,” head coach Ricky Young smiled. “We want our pitching and defense to be our hallmarks, and I was very pleased with both of them tonight.

“Hunter (Parris) and Alex (Anderson) both did an outstanding job pitching,” he added. “After the game, I said to them if they give up no runs, we have a pretty good chance to win games. We turned a really big double play early and our defense was really good. I’m proud of the way we played in the field.”

Parris and Anderson, who are two of the 12 seniors on this year’s team, combined for the two-hit shutout on the hill. Together, they racked up 14 strikeouts, and only let three Bearcats reach scoring position. Getting the win was Parris, who went five innings, struck out nine batters, gave up two hits and walked three.

Anderson, who started as the team’s center fielder, closed out the final two innings, sitting down five of his six batters faced via the punchout.

The two pitchers also got some help behind them in the field, first with a 5-4-3 double play to end the bottom of the first inning. Anson’s Garrett Maner hit a hard grounder to Dallas Cowick at third, who fielded the ball and started the sequence to Brett Young and Cameron Carraway.

Two innings later, Anderson made a sliding catch in center to rob Trace Ricketts of a leadoff base hit. Fellow senior Garret Richardson saved a potential run in the bottom of the fifth with a sliding grab along the right field line on a Garrett Sikes liner.

Richmond (1-0) wouldn’t notch its first run of the season until the top of the fifth inning after having a runner on third base, including the bases loaded in the third inning, in each of the first three innings.

Anderson led off the fifth with a bloop shot to center field, stretching it to a double after Evan Byars’ diving attempt fell short. A passed ball a couple of pitches later allowed Anderson to move to third, and Young came through with a sacrifice fly and an RBI in the same at-bat.

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The Bearcats (0-1) used three pitchers on the night, starting Maner before replacing him with AD McRae after two innings. McRae was credited with the earned run on Young’s sac fly and the loss, and Richmond added two insurance runs off Wes Lear in the seventh inning.

A two-out walk by Young in the top of the seventh, his second of the game, kept the inning alive. He stole second base and moved to third on a Lear wild pitch, before trotting home on a passed ball.

Senior Jake Ransom drew a walk a pitch later, and was replaced by junior Austin Talton on the base paths. Carraway dug in and collected Richmond’s second and final hit of the night when he roped a gap shot to right-center, scoring Talton from first for the final run of the game.

“We just have to keep working at the plate, and our timing will get there,” Young said. “We’re just a touch off and our pitch selection wasn’t really good. We’ll get better — the (limited) pre-season has affected that.”

Richmond will be back in action Friday when it hosts non-conference E.A. Laney High School. The home opener is set for a 6 p.m. start.

JV Raiders also blank Bearcats in opener

The Raider junior varsity team also won Wednesday, defeating the Bearcats 10-0. Sophomore Michael Pettitt earned the win on the mound, with freshman Harley Honeycutt pitching in relief.

Sophomore Trevor Johnson went 3-for-3 with three RBIs, fellow sophomore Tremel Jones drew two walks, had a hit and scored a run. Also producing was freshman JD Lampley, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.

“I was extremely pleased with how we played,” JV head coach Ralph Butler said. “It’s early and no one has really had a chance to see the field too much because of the weather. I anticipated some mistakes, but was pleased that we kept them minimal.

“The pitching was really good,” he added. “Hopefully, the weather will cooperate so we can get back to work (Thursday). We have Purnell Swett High School up next and they are always prepared.”



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Kyle Pillar is a 22-time North Carolina Press Association award-winning sports editor with The Richmond Observer. Follow the sports department on X @ROSports_ for the best in-depth coverage of Richmond County sports.