FAYETTEVILLE — For the first time since the 2024 season, the Richmond junior varsity baseball team hit the field for a live game Friday.
In their season opener at Pine Forest High School, the JV Raiders and head coach Anthony Hailey rolled to a 16-1 victory in four innings (time limit).
Connecting for five hits, the JV Raiders took advantage of eight errors by the JV Trojans, as well as 13 bases on balls and three hit-by-pitches.
“We really wanted to have a JV team this season after not having one last year,” Anthony said. “These guys have come together this spring, worked hard to prepare and have been waiting for this opportunity.
“It’s great to get a win in our first game back and we took what (Pine Forest) gave us and made it work to our benefit,” he added. “Colton (Nelson) did his job on the mound and we were able to take care of what we needed to on offense.”
Making his first high school start on the mound, freshman Colton Nelson pitched a complete game. He threw 3.2 innings and tossed a one-hit gem. Nelson allowed one unearned run and recorded six strikeouts.
Richmond scored four runs in the second inning before breaking the game open with five more runs in the third, and tacked on its final seven runs in the fourth.
Three straight walks to freshmen Jackson Parsons, Cooper Gainey and Conner Locklear to start the top of the second inning led to the team’s first run. Freshman Brody Bryant knocked a line drive RBI single to center to score Parsons and move everyone up 90 feet.
Freshman Christian Gardner made it 2-0 two batters later when he grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice, which scored Gainey. A free pass to freshman Jacob Stogner reloaded the bases with two away.
Extending the lead to 4-0, sophomore Kerick Hairston Jr. barreled up a two-out, two-RBI base hit to center. Scoring on the play were Bryant and Nelson (courtesy runner).
Richmond’s first two runs of the third inning were the result of two errors on a single play by the JV Trojans. Parsons (single) and Gainey (walk) both scored to make it 6-0.
Bryant (error) later scored on another error. Freshman Sam O’Neal kept the offense going when he doubled in a pair of runs to left field. Reaching home safely on the two-bagger were Nelson and freshman Nate Culbreth (both walked).
Pine Forest managed to score its lone run in the game when Richmond committed a fielding error in the bottom of the third.
Starting the final inning up 9-1, the JV Raiders added to their lead when Parsons (walk) scored on an error. Gainey scored when freshman Nate Erwin was plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded and Gardner scored when Nelson helped himself out with a sacrifice fly.
Freshman Jaxton Watson recorded an RBI later in the inning when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to grow the lead to 13-1. Richmond’s final three runs were all scored via Pine Forest errors.
The JV Raiders (1-0) will also play at Jack Britt Tuesday, starting at 5 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: Statistics and game information provided by the JV Raider baseball team’s GameChanger.
