RAEFORD, N.C. – The Richmond softball team’s bats went off against Hoke County High School Tuesday night on the road, as it plated a season-high 22 runs. And in the process, the Lady Raiders tied the school’s single-game record for the most team home runs in a game.
Behind an explosive night at the plate, the Lady Raiders hit four home runs (all by different players) on the way to defeating the second-place Lady Bucks 22-2 in five innings. Ranked as the No. 5 team in the state, and the No. 2 team in class 4A according to Maxpreps, Richmond (8-1, 8-0 SAC) won its eighth-straight game courtesy of 12 hits, 11 walks and five batters hit by a pitch.
Juniors Savannah Lampley and Greyson Way, sophomore Kayla Hawkins and freshman Paige Ransom all left the ball park, combining for nine of the 22 total runs scored on their home runs. Lampley (solo shot in second inning), Ransom (grand slam in the second inning) and Hawkins (two-run homer in the fourth inning) all hit their team-leading third dinger of the season, while Way (two-run blast in the fifth inning) hit her second of the year.
This was the third time in program history that the Lady Raiders have hit four longballs in a game. Last season in an 11-1 win over Whiteville High School, Lampley and Brianna Baysek each had a home run, while Way added two of her state-leading 15 home runs as a sophomore.
In 2016, former Lady Raiders NaLee Jacobs and Carleigh Haywood, as well as current players Owen Bowers and Way combined for four shots against Southwest Randolph High School in a 12-1 win. Bowers’ hit was a grand slam.
“They’re finding their zone at the plate,” head coach Wendy Wallace said about her batters’ performance. “They were very patient at the plate tonight and swung at strikes down in the zone. That makes a difference – we’re seeing the ball really well.
“Everything Savannah swings at, she’s hitting hard,” she continued. “But more people are being more consistent at the plate and I think that helps. We’re not chasing pitches. Sometimes when you’re hitting (the ball well) you get over aggressive, but we didn’t do that.”
In Tuesday’s action, Richmond jumped off to a quick start in the first inning thanks to a little help from Hoke County (8-2, 4-2 SAC) pitcher Ina Womack. The junior pitcher walked three batters and hit another with a pitch in the opening half inning (Womack had 11 bases on balls and five HBP in the five innings she pitched), allowing three runs to cross the plate. Junior Taylor Parrish, who finished the night with a game-high five RBIs, came up big with a one-out, bases-loaded line drive single to center field, scoring Bowers and Way to go up 3-0.
The Lady Raiders found the pop in their bats during the second and third innings, as they combined for 14 runs (six in the second, eight in the third) on just six hits and got help from Womack as she walked six batters and plunked three more (Bowers twice).
Lampley hit her third home run in three games (both previous of which were game-winners) with one out in the second inning, and after two walks and two hit batters, Ransom cleared the decks with a rocket shot over the left field fence to put the Lady Raiders ahead 9-0.
In the third inning, Womack loaded the bases again by walking or hitting the first three batters, and Lampley scored the 10th run when she scored on a passed ball. Following a walk to Way (and a stolen base), Baysek delivered two of her three RBIs on a hard grounder up the middle, scoring Bowers and Way.
Before the third inning was over, Parrish smacked a two-RBI double down the left field line, and Lampley cleared the bases with a three-RBI double.
Lampley led all batters with four hits on the night, and boosted her batting average to .567 on the season (fourth in the SAC). The Official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week also leads the team in runs scored (20), hits (17), RBIs (13) and is tied for the team lead in doubles (4) and home runs (3). As a freshman, Ransom is hitting an impressive .421 and has knocked in 12 RBIs (tied with Parrish and Hawkins for second on the team).
An RBI double by Baysek, coupled with Hawkins’ two-run blast in the top of the fourth, gave Richmond a 20-0 lead. Hoke County was able to string together a couple of hits in the bottom half of the inning, as Womack hit an RBI single and teammate Alexis Blackwell scored on a passed ball for the only two Lady Bucks runs of the game.
Way ended the game in the top of the fifth with a long fly ball to centerfield that easily cleared the fence, plating Lampley in the process. Also dominant in the circle, Way pitched all five innings, gave up just three hits, struck out seven batters and allowed two unearned runs.
Wallace noted that Way was “efficient,” having thrown just 56 pitches and facing 20 batters. The coach also explained that it was “part of the game plan” to keep Way’s pitch count down heading into two more big-time games over the next two days.
Richmond will head to West Stanly High School (Oakboro, N.C.) for a non-conference matchup Wednesday. The Lady Colts (11-1) are currently ranked as the No. 1 team in the state in all classifications, but Wallace says her team “definitely” has some offense left in the tank. Opening pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
The Lady Bucks will visit Richmond to wrap up Sandhills Athletic Conference play before spring break on Thursday, with the game scheduled for 7 p.m.
