ROCKINGHAM — Although it led early in Thursday’s season finale, the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity baseball team came up a run short.
Welcoming Pinecrest High School, the JV Raiders let go of a pair of three-run leads, as well as a four-run advantage, and lost 7-6 in five innings (time limit).
Up 4-1 after the first inning, and 6-2 following the third stanza, Richmond allowed the JV Patriots to score four runs in the fourth and the game-winning run in the fifth.
In their three losses to Pinecrest this season, the JV Raiders lost by a combined four runs.
A total of six errors in the field didn’t help freshman starting pitcher Colton Nelson, who pitched all five innings. All seven runs allowed were unearned, as Nelson allowed seven hits and struck out one batter.
Sophomore Kerick Hairston Jr. and freshman Brody Bryant each recorded one run batted in. Freshman Jackson Parsons had two of Richmond’s three hits, including a double. Nelson also doubled.
Erasing a one-run deficit with two outs in the first, Richmond got on the board when freshmen Cooper Gainey (walk) and Jaxton Watson (walk) both scored on the same error.
An error off the bat of freshman Conner Locklear later scored Parsons (double). Making it 4-1 was Hairston Jr., who drew a bases-loaded walk. Trotting home was Locklear.
Pinecrest got a run back in the top of the second on an infield single with the bases loaded.
The JV Raiders regained a three-run lead in the bottom half when Bryant was patient at the plate and reached on a base-on-balls with the bases loaded. Scoring on the two-out walk was Nelson, who led off the inning with his double.
Richmond’s largest lead of the game came in the bottom of the third when Gainey connected on a fly out to right field. On the relay back to the infield, Pinecrest committed an error and Hairston Jr. (leadoff walk) scored on the miscue.
All four of Pinecrest’s runs in the fourth came with one out to tie the game 6-6. An error scored the first run, two runs scored on a triple and a bunt single brought in the tying run.
A one-out single followed by an error in the top of the fifth put the JV Patriots ahead. Down to their final three outs, the JV Raiders couldn’t rally and went down in order.
Finishing the season with a 10-7 overall record, the JV Raiders and head coach Anthony Hailey recorded nine more wins than in 2024, the last time Richmond had a JV team.
The JV Raiders earned a 10-5 record against Mid-South Conference opponents.
Sports editor’s note: Game information and statistics provided by Richmond’s GameChanger.
