ROCKINGHAM — A season-long winning streak continued for the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity softball team Thursday.
Getting spring break started with a win, the JV Lady Raiders completed their two-game season sweep of Jack Britt High School.
With their winning streak reaching eight games, the JV Lady Raiders defeated the JV Lady Buccaneers 12-2 (five innings) in the Mid-South Conference game.
The mercy-rule win was the result of three four-run innings to start the game for Richmond. Jack Britt scored a solo run in the third and fifth frames.
Freshman Lyra Newton did most of the pitching, putting together four strong innings. She allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out five.
Fellow ninth grade pitcher Autumn Cooper put the bow on the win by pitching the fifth. She gave up an earned run on two hits and struck out one batter.
In the bottom of the first, sophomore Annabelle Millen (error) and freshman Ava Parks (walk) scored on the same error on a Newton fly ball.
Newton, who moved to third on the miscue, scored in the next at-bat when Cooper recorded an RBI groundout to second base. Making it 4-0 was sophomore Liz Lunceford, who scored on another error.
Newton recorded a 1-2-3 top of the second and Richmond extended its lead to 8-0. An RBI single from Millen brought in freshman Kaydence Cooke (walk) for the first of the team’s four runs.
Freshman Grace Hill (hit-by-pitch) scored with no outs thanks to another error by Jack Britt. The next two runs were courtesy of a bases-loaded walk drawn by Cooper and an RBI groundout by sophomore Kaylee Connor.
Jack Britt scored its first run in the top of the third on an error, but Richmond answered with its final four runs a half-inning later.
Hill made her way around the bases for a two-run inside-the-park home run after Cooke drew a leadoff walk.
Leading 10-1, freshman Makenzie Mabe (double) scored on a passed ball. An error off the bat of Cooper allowed Parks (HBP) to score the final run for Richmond.
Newton faced four batters in the fourth inning and Cooper allowed an RBI triple, but got the final out to end the game to leave the runner stranded.
Hill had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored. Mabe also had two hits and both Millen and Connor added a hit.
Cooper helped herself and the team with a pair of RBI. Driving in one run each were Millen, Parks and Connor.
With the holiday break starting, the JV Lady Raiders (9-1, 3-0 MSC) will return to conference action April 14 at Hoke County High School.
Sports editor’s note: Game information and statistics provided by Richmond’s GameChanger.
