RAEFORD — A perfect start against Mid-South Conference opponents continued Friday for the Richmond Senior High School baseball team thanks in large part to a dual effort from senior Evan Hodges.
Similar to the old baseball adage of “three up, three down,” the Raiders have done that with their first trio of MSC teams this spring.
On the road Friday at Hoke County High School, Richmond defeated the Bucks 11-5.
Hodges played a hefty role in the victory, doing double damage on the mound and at the plate.
In his third start of the season, he threw 6.2 innings and was relieved only because of reaching the pitch count. Only one of Hodges’ five runs allowed was earned and he racked up a single-game career-high 13 strikeouts while giving up five hits.
From the three-spot in the batting order, Hodges finished the game with a team-high three hits and led the way with three runs batted in. Going 3-for-4, he knocked a double and two singles.
Despite making a season-high seven errors in the field, Richmond kept the Bucks scoreless through the first five innings.
The Raiders tallied solo runs in each of the first three frames. A two-run fifth inning was added to by three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings.
In the top of the first inning, Hodges got the scoring started when he laced an opposite-field RBI double down the right field line. Hustling to score all the way from first base was junior Drew Gause, who beat out an infield single in the at-bat prior.
Facing just three batters in the home half, Hodges got some defensive help when freshman left fielder Julius Bowden made a catch in foul territory and doubled off a napping runner to Gause at second base.
Adding to the lead in the top of the second, Bowden sent an RBI double to the alley in left-center field off starting pitcher Carson Hewitt (5.1 innings, 7 runs, 9 hits, 9 Ks). Sophomore Drew McCaskill (walk) scored to make it 2-0.
Another three-batter inning in the bottom of the second featured two strikeouts for Hodges. Helping end the inning was senior catcher Maddox Locklear, who hosed a would-be base stealer at second, the first of his two caught stealing in the win.
Two-out base knocks by Hodges and senior Caden Nolan in the third gave freshman Noah Stubbs the chance to connect on an RBI single. Making it a three-run lead, it was Stubbs’ first career hit and RBI.
A 1-2-3 third for Hodges was followed by a four-batter bottom of the fourth to preserve the lead. The Raiders struck for two more runs in the top of the fifth.
A leadoff double by Locklear, one of three two-baggers in the game for Richmond, resulted in a run when he scored on a Hodges RBI fielder’s choice. Nolan connected for his second hit of the game and brought in Hodges in the next at-bat to pad the lead to five runs.
Hodges retired the Bucks in order again in the fifth, which set up the first of consecutive three-run innings for the Raiders.
Following a pitching change, and with the bases loaded, Gause brought in McCaskill (single) with a sacrifice fly to center field. With two away, Hodges poked an RBI base hit into right field, plating senior Jake Veach (walk).
A base on balls to Nolan reloaded the bases, and Stubbs got his second RBI of the game when he, too, drew a free pass with the bases full of Raiders to make it 8-0.
Hoke County (2-4, 1-2 MSC) scored its first two runs of the game with two outs in the sixth following an error on a fly ball.
Richmond’s final three runs came in the seventh, starting with McCaskill (single) scoring on a wild pitch. Gause was walked with the bases loaded to bring in Bowden (single), and the last run for the Raiders came in when Veach (walk) scored following an infield fly.
The Bucks scored three runs in the seventh, the first two the result of an RBI triple and an RBI double. An infield single with two outs scored their final run.
Sophomore Devin Haynes replaced Hodges on the mound after the infield hit. He needed just five pitches to record a 4-3 groundout to end the game.
Up next for the Raiders (5-1, 3-0 MSC) will be a Saturday matinee game against non-conference Weddington High School (4-1). First pitch from Raider Field is slated for 2:30 p.m.
