ROCKINGHAM — The bats were booming again for the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity softball team Friday.
A day after lighting up the scoreboard, the JV Lady Raiders recorded their second 12-run inning in as many games to defeat Lumberton High School 17-2.
Mercy-ruling the JV Lady Pirates in three innings, Richmond plated a dozen runs in the home half of the third frame to send Lumberton home early.
Leading 4-0 after the first inning, the JV Lady Raiders added a solo run in the second inning. Lumberton’s two runs came in the top of the third.
“I know it’s early in the season, but the girls are showing their potential as a team,” head coach Lauren Brewer said. “When our pitching is as good as it’s been so far, and our bats keep firing, we can be a really good team.
“The last two games have been a great confidence booster for us,” she added. “We’ve been able to control the games from the start and that makes it easier to settle in and play our game.”
Freshman Autumn Cooper threw a complete game from the circle for Richmond, allowing just two unearned runs. She gave up one hit and struck out three batters.
After stranding a leadoff walk in the top of the first, Richmond jumped ahead with four runs in the home half. Sophomore leadoff batter Liz Lunceford drew a walk and scored on the next plate appearance when freshman Ava Parks reached on an error.
Freshman Lyra Newton was hit by a pitch, which led to sophomore Annabelle Millen driving in a pair of runs. Millen dug in with no outs and doubled to the alley in left field to score Parks and Newton.
Up 3-0, freshman Grace Hill, who drew a free pass, scored from third base on a passed ball.
Cooper struck out the first two batters of the second and got the third out against the fourth batter following a walk.
Parks scored her second run in as many innings, this time on a wild pitch, after reaching safely on a hit-by-pitch to make it 5-0.
Lumberton scored its two runs in the top of the third inning as a result of an error.
The JV Lady Raiders’ 12-run inning started when Hill (single) scored on a wild pitch. With no outs and the bases loaded, Lunceford connected for a two-RBI base hit to center field to score Cooper (walk) and sophomore Jordyn Chappell (walk).
Leading 8-2, consecutive HBPs to Parks and Newton kept the bases loaded and scored freshman Kaydence Cooke (HBP).
Still with no outs, freshman Haylee McCaskill stepped in the box and cleared the bases with a three-RBI triple. Racing home were Newton, Parks and Lunceford. McCaskill scored a few pitches later on a pass ball to extend the lead to 13-2.
Freshman Jasey Braddock (walk) kept the scoring going when she, too, crossed home plate on a Lumberton wild pitch. Cooper helped her cause in the same at-bat with an RBI double to bring home Hill (HBP).
The game ended with one out still on the board when Cooper scored on an error and Lunceford drove in her third RBI with a triple, plating Cooke (error).
Lunceford and McCaskill each drove in a team-leading three RBI, and Lunceford and Millen both connected for two of Richmond’s four hits.
Parks and Hill crossed home plate three times apiece to lead the team. The JV Lady Raiders were hit by a pitch seven times in the win.
The JV Lady Raiders (3-1) will play Montgomery Central High School Monday at home, starting at 5 p.m.
