LAURINBURG - Without a doubt, regardless of what sport is being played, Richmond Senior High School’s biggest athletic rival is the school located just 20 miles east on US Highway 74.
As the final week of the regular season got underway Wednesday, the Lady Raiders softball team made sure that the first installment of the rivalry week series wasn’t event close.
Coming off a program record-breaking 34-1 win over Seventy-First High School that broke four major school records (runs in a game (34), RBIs in a game (28), most players with a double (6), and most players with multiple runs scored (9)), Richmond (17-3, 13-0) made little of the Lady Fighting Scots (9-8, 5-8 SAC) and trumped them in 10-1 fashion.
Playing in just its 11th complete seven-inning game this season, the Lady Raiders made quick work in the opening three innings, lighting up the Lady Fighting Scots for eight runs. But head coach Wendy Wallace noted her team “went flat” in the middle innings before getting back on the scoreboard in the sixth inning.
“We batted really well in the first couple of innings,” Wallace said after her team remained perfect in SAC play. “The girls put a couple of hits together in the second inning to keep us going, but it wasn’t anything special. We weren’t hitting balls to the fence, but it worked, and we were able to get some runs early.”
Squaring off against Scotland’s Katie Smith from the circle, who pitched a complete game, the Lady Raiders collected 11 hits on the night and got some help by drawing nine walks. A pair of Richmond freshmen, Payton Chappell and Paige Ransom, along with sophomore Kayla Hawkins led the way with two hits each, with five other players reaching base safely via a hit.
Continuing with the production of the two freshmen on the team, Chappell and Ransom each had two RBIs on the night, and got some run support from senior catcher Owen Bowers, who added RBIs No. 18 and 19 of the season on a two-run jack during the second at-bat of the game in the top of the first inning.
On a 1-0 pitch, Bowers drilled a back-side home run to right-center field to score Savannah Lampley, who led off with a walk. Bowers’ fourth longball of the season comes at the right time, as she’s starting to heat up at the dish heading into the home stretch of the season. She also had a three-run dinger in Friday’s win at Seventy-First.
Before the opening frame would end, Richmond would extend its lead to 3-0 thanks to three straight no-out singles by Greyson Way, Brianna Baysek and Kayla Hawkins. After a fielder’s choice that got the force out at home eliminating Way, Ransom picked up her first RBI of the night when she lofted a fly ball to center field and scored Baysek on a sacrifice fly.
Way, who earned her 18th win of the season Wednesday, found herself in a little bit of a pickle in the home half of the first. After quick back-to-back strikeouts against Macie Gibson and Smith, Way loaded the bases on the next three batters, thanks to an E9, a hit batter and a walk. But she calmed down and struck out the side, getting Jenna Byrd looking.
Richmond would add three more runs to extend its lead to 6-0 in the third inning when Chappell hit an RBI double in the second at-bat of the inning, scoring Madison Jordan (who walked). Lampley would trade places with Chappell, smacking an RBI single and moving to second base on the throw to the plate. After a another walk issued by Smith to Bowers, Lampley dashed home on a throw to second base that caught Bowers stealing.
Chappell, who bats in the nine hole, and Lampley, who’s Richmond’s leadoff hitter, delivered again in the third inning courtesy of a bases-loaded fielder’s choice and an error. Through two and a half innings, Richmond maintained a 8-0 lead.
The Lady Scots would add their only run of the night in the bottom of the third, when Katie Lighthall sent a ground ball to shortstop Lampley, allowing Gibson to score from third base.
The Lady Raiders’ bats went quiet in innings four and five, but Smith found herself in some trouble in top of the sixth inning. After loading the bases, Smith plunked junior Taylor Parrish to plate a run, and Ransom wrapped up the game’s scoring in the ensuing at-bat with an RBI single to center field, scoring Baysek and moving the other runners up a base.
“Payton had a good night at the plate, she hit ball well,” Wallace said of her freshman third baseman. “Paige took a night off from hitting a home run, so we can joke about that. Scotland didn’t make too many errors and actually made a few big plays in the field to keep some runs off the board.
“Greyson was good at working her way out of a couple of jams throughout the game,” Wallace concluded. “We don’t want to be in a bases-loaded situation with less two outs. And it’s big that Greyson can get out of tight spots and throw a ball to hit her spot for outs. We’re going to face good-hitting teams in playoffs, but seeing them now can make us stronger down the road.”
Way’s line of the night was seven innings, five hits, one earned run and 10 strikeouts.
The Lady Raiders will finish their regular season play on Friday at home, as they’ll host the Lady Fighting Scots during senior night. Richmond’s three seniors, Baysek, Bowers and Kenzie Webb will be recognized prior to first pitch, which is scheduled for 7 p.m.
