ROCKINGHAM – It’s head coach Wendy Wallace’s philosophy of “team before self,” coupled with “the most athletic team from top to bottom” she’s had during her tenure, that could ultimately push the Richmond Senior High School softball team to its first state title in 2018.
On the heels of an upset loss to North Davidson High School in last year’s 4A state championship semifinal round (the farthest the team has gone in Wallace’s tenure), the Lady Raiders haven’t forgotten that feeling – and are working harder than ever to earn that first banner.
Wallace, who is entering her 12th season as Richmond’s head coach, has seen the program blossom over the last several seasons. In 2017, her team won its fifth straight conference title, going 25-6 overall, and blanking (then) Southeastern Conference opponents 10-0.
And while the team has progressively chipped its way deeper and deeper into the post-season over the last couple of years, Wallace wants her team to focus on the immediate tasks ahead and take the season “one game at a time.”
“We talked about our expectations this week,” Wallace said. “And obviously we want to win a state championship. But from stepping on the field day one, we have to make sure we do the little things – like achieving our personal goals. Those are mainly increasing batting averages and decreasing the number of strikeouts.
“And our goal every year is to win the (Sandhills Athletic) Conference, and go undefeated in conference play,” Wallace added. “In the Western Regional finals last year, we took really good care of our defense and our pitching limited the number of runs given up. As a team, we were batting below .300. We want to improve that top to bottom.”
Noting that her team “knows what it feels like to lose out” to North Davidson, and adding that her players are “hungry for a state title,” Wallace is confident that her star-studded roster of 11 players will develop over the course of the season and deliver when it matters.
But in order to get there, all the right things need to happen.
A core group of Lady Raiders are returning to the dugout this season, but not without the loss of their top two pitchers from 2017. Seniors NaLee Jacobs and Mackenzie Ward, both of whom are playing at the collegiate level, split the bulk of Richmond’s pitching duties last year, and went 12-2, 2.10 ERA and 13-4, 1.63 ERA, respectively.
But enter 2018’s pitching “ace” Greyson Way – a UNC-Greensboro commit who has been a member of the Lady Raiders since her freshman year.
The junior pitcher, according to Wallace, has a different style than her predecessors. Though Way has the ability to switch things up with her changeup, she’s predominantly a pitcher who pounds opposing batters on the inside part of the plate.
This spring, Way has carried nearly all Richmond’s pre-season pitching responsibilities in the team’s four scrimmages. She hasn’t allowed a run, and thanks to her nearly 30 strikeouts and sound defensive unit behind her, very few runners have made it to or past second base.
“Greyson is stepping in this season, and has a ton of travel ball experience pitching,” Wallace said, noting Way hasn’t racked up many innings on the varsity level. “She’s a little bit different in style, compared to the last couple of years. We had finesse pitchers who changed speed a lot – and Greyson has the ability to change speeds, but she throws harder. She’s a power pitcher and she’ll pound inside. But her being able to throw a good changeup and rise ball will help us.”
“My pitching style is aggressive,” Way explained. “I always want to get ahead in the count and challenge hitters. This responsibility (of being the No. 1 pitcher) means that it’s my job to keep my team in the game and give us a chance to win in the end.
“I know that I have a good defense behind me when I’m pitching, so I just have to do my part,” she continued.
And that defense, which maintained an impressive .963 fielding percentage a season ago, includes senior battery mate Owen Bowers and the team’s star “infield leader” in junior Savannah Lampley. These three will also bat 1-2-3 in Wallace’s lineup.
Lampley, who is a speedy left-hander who led the Lady Raiders in batting average (.514) and hits (54) as a sophomore, will serve as the leadoff hitter. She was also third in the state last year in doubles for 4A competition, as she drilled 16, trailing only Alexander Central’s Brittney Krider (19) and Cape Fear’s Bri Bryant (17). Lampley is also a UNC-Wilmington commit for the class of 2019.
And when paired with Lampley’s impressive numbers, Bowers (.452 average in 2017) and Way (.337 average) take Richmond to a whole other level. The duo of right-handers are power-hitting threats who combined for 24 home runs in 2017. Way set the program’s single-season record as a sophomore last season with 15 home runs, and was tied for first in the state for home runs with Whiteville’s Sage McLelland.
Last season, both Bowers (who is committed to Florida Southwestern State) and Way tied Richmond’s all-time home run record with 21 in their careers, but Way made it her own when she hit her 22nd career dinger. Hitting in the two and three holes, both will produce the majority of Richmond’s RBIs this season, as each plated 37 runners in 2017.
“We traditionally play with the long ball a lot,” Wallace said of her team’s offensive approach. “We average a lot of home runs every year. Owen and Greyson are going to be big bats.
“Savannah is consistent with getting on base,” she continued. “She’ll find a way to step up and get two or three hits per game to help us.”
According to Wallace, the Lady Raiders’ one through nine batters have the “ability to produce” and bring a “load of experience to the plate.” Richmond will need to rely on the likes of senior center fielder Bri Baysek and sophomore first baseman Kayla Hawkins to provide consistent hitting and pop in the four and five spots. Hawkins has hit two home runs during the pre-season.
Other promising bats include sophomore second baseman Jadyn Johnson (the only other lefty on the team), and a pair of freshmen in Payton Chappell and Paige Ransom. Senior Mackenzie Webb, junior Taylor Parrish and sophomore Madison Jordan round out the 11-player roster.
“Our team this year is so solid,” Bowers said. “We have a full team of athletes and hard workers. I’m so happy that we’re all able to play together. Our team is quick, but also powerful – we’re solid on defense. I do believe this year can be our first state title, as long as we continue working hard.”
Wallace expects her players to remain aggressive at the plate and in the field. And as the season is set to officially get underway this week, there’s only one area of concern moving forward: the ability to play small-ball when the opportunity presents itself.
While hitting home runs and extra base hits is the team’s overlying philosophy, Wallace has been working diligently with her players this spring to improve their bunting abilities and moving runners base-to-base.
“Bunting can sometimes come back and bite us in the butt in big games,” Wallace admitted. “But that’s one of the things we’re focused on this year. Everybody has to be able to put a bunt down in that situation, so we’re starting that early.”
Richmond will also try to “reduce the number of strikeouts” it incurs at the plate, an expectation that the players take incredibly serious.
And while it may not necessarily matter, several tough opponents from last season have dropped out of the 4A class this season. North Davidson (Lexington), which won the 4A title in 2017 and eliminated Richmond in the semifinals, dropped to 2A, while runner-up Cape Fear (Fayetteville) now plays in the 3A classification. D.H. Conley (Greenville) is also a 3A program in 2018.
Richmond will start its run for championship glory on Wednesday, February 28, as it will host tough non-conference opponent Marlboro Academy (Bennettsville, S.C.) at home. The Lady Dragons are led by Richmond County native and ace pitcher Jenna Greene, and won the 2017 SCISA 2A state championship against Pee Dee Academy.
But for the record – Richmond owns a 31-7 record at home over the last three seasons. And hopefully for Wallace and company, Wednesday marks the first win of a historic season.
