CHARLOTTE — A strong start to the season continued for the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity softball team Thursday.
On the road for the first time this spring, the JV Lady Raiders defeated East Mecklenburg High School 7-3 in four innings (time limit).
Richmond split its pitching duties between sophomore starter Macie King (2.1 innings) and freshman Madison Hancock (1.2 innings). King allowed three unearned runs on no hits, Hancock surrendered no runs on two hits and both struck out four batters.
The JV Lady Raiders scored one run in the first inning before adding three runs in both the second and fourth frames.
King helped herself out in the top of the first, recording an RBI single in the second at-bat of the game. Scoring on the hit to left field was freshman Liz Lunceford (error).
Bringing the power to start the top of the second, freshman Sydney Barnes and sophomore Kaylan Parsons smoked back-to-back solo home runs to extend the lead to 3-0.
Three batters later with two outs, King kept the inning alive when she reached on an error at third base. Able to score on the miscue was freshman Rylee Smith (walk).
East Mecklenburg pulled within a run with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Those runs were scored via an RBI groundout, an error and an RBI single.
A little two-out magic in the top of the fourth provided the final three runs for the JV Lady Raiders.
Parsons (dropped third strike) scored on a passed ball and King recorded her team-leading second RBI of the game with a base knock to left, which scored freshman Kaylee Connor (walk).
Hancock put an exclamation point on the win with an RBI double in the next at-bat, finding the gap in left field to easily bring King home safely.
Facing five batters in the bottom half of the inning, Hancock struck out the side to preserve the win.
The JV Lady Raiders (2-0, 1-0 Sandhills Athletic Conference) return home Friday for an SAC game against Union Pines High School. The game will begin at 5 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: Statistics and game information provided by Richmond’s Game Changer. An article on the varsity softball team’s win over East Mecklenburg Friday.
