LEXINGTON, N.C. – There’s no other way to be the best than to beat the best. And that’s exactly what the Richmond Senior High School softball team did in convincing fashion Saturday during its last round of preseason scrimmages.
The Lady Raiders made the trip to Mike Lambros Field at North Davidson High School to cap off their preseason play. Going 3-0 on the afternoon, Richmond relied on dominant pitching and a couple of longballs to blank all three teams by a combined score of 14-0.
Richmond finished the preseason 4-0, having beaten Anson High School last week, and didn’t allow a single opposing batter to cross the plate. And that’s something head coach Wendy Wallace is proud of, but also expects from her 11 varsity players.
“Pitching was really good all day, and we only gave up one walk,” Wallace noted. “Defense was solid all day, and we didn’t have any errors in the three games we played. And we hit the ball really well, and our offense will continue to come along.
“We know we need to work on limiting our strikeouts,” she continued. “We had too many strikeouts looking, so I want them to be more aggressive at the plate. We’ve got a good hitting team, and we have to attack the ball.”
The three teams the Lady Raiders faced all made the state playoffs a season ago in their respective classifications. West Stokes (King, N.C.) was eliminated in the second round of the 2A playoffs, while Orange High School (Hillsborough, N.C.) and North Davidson (Lexington, N.C.) won the 3A and 4A state championships, respectively.
And it was the Lady Knights of North Davidson who upset the Lady Raiders in the Western Regional finals last year, ending a historic playoff run. But Saturday’s situation was a little different, even if it was just a scrimmage.
In the first game, played at a local community field, Richmond took care of business against West Stokes, blanking the Lady Wildcats 7-0. Sophomore first baseman Kayla Hawkins got the scoring started when she led off the second inning with a solo home run on a 1-0 count.
Wallace noted that Hawkins is “hitting the ball solid and making quality outs” at the plate this spring.
Richmond poured on a barrage of runs in the third inning, as four Lady Raiders touched home after sending 10 different batters to the plate. Sophomore Jady Johnson got things started, as she was the first of five consecutive batters to reach base before the first out was recorded. Senior Mackenzie Webb and junior Savannah Lampley each had singles in the inning, while senior Bri Baysek picked up a double.
Johnson and sophomore Madison Jordan scored the final two runs in the fourth inning thanks to a two-out, bases-loaded double by senior catcher Owen Bowers. Junior pitcher Greyson Way put in four innings of work, while junior Paige Ransom chipped in an inning before the game was called due to the one-hour time limit.
In the final two scrimmages played at North Davidson’s field, the Lady Raiders rolled to a 6-0 win over Orange, and stunned the home team 1-0. Way dominated the Lady Panthers’ and Lady Knights’ batters on the mound, as she tallied five strikeouts through four innings in both games.
Hawkins, who has proven her power at the play this spring, got the scoring started again in the second inning against Orange, as she went yard for the second time on the afternoon, this time a line-drive shot off the scoreboard in left-center field. Junior Taylor Parrish followed up with a sharply hit single to right field, and later scored when left-hander Johnson roped an RBI single to right field with two outs.
Lampley, whose speed gives the Lady Raiders an extra push on the base paths, stretched a rolling ball to the wall into a triple to lead off the third. Bowers hit another RBI double, this time on a 1-0 count. Baysek collected another hit on the day, a single, and Hawkins reached first after being hit by a pitch.
Threatening to break the game wide open, Richmond found itself with the bases loaded and only one out. But a well struck line drive right at Orange’s second baseman by Parrish ended the inning when it was caught and Hawkins was nabbed at first base, unable to get back in time.
The final three runs came in the home half of the fourth thanks to a throwing error, a walk, two stolen bases, an RBI bunt single by Johnson, a bases-loaded walk to Webb and a sacrifice fly by Lampley.
Richmond’s defense looked solid in its second scrimmage, too. Lampley made an impressive over-the-shoulder catch in shallow left field for the second out in the fourth inning, and remaining aware, turned and caught the runner at first napping for a heads-up double play. No Orange batter made it past first base, and the only base runner allowed came on a bloop single to left field in the fourth inning.
The final, and perhaps most anticipated, scrimmage of the day was a tightly contested pitchers’ dual that only saw one run score. And it just so happened to come in the top of the first inning and started when Lampley was plunked on a 1-0 count to lead off the game. She stole second base and moved to third on a fielder’s choice when Bowers hit a hard ground ball to third. Baysek came up big with the game’s lone RBI single.
The rest of the game saw both teams have their fair share of scoring opportunities, but neither could bolster enough offense to score. Way pitched all four innings, and sat down the first six batters she faced, two via the strikeout.
A Lady Knights leadoff single in the third would be the only hit allowed by Way, but Bowers did away with the baserunner by torching her on a steal attempt. Bowers, who has a strong 6’-0” frame, has been working a lot this season on throwing from her knees to catch runners.
As mentioned before, Wallace would like to see her team’s strikeout numbers go down. In the three combined games, the Lady Raiders struck out 14 times, six of which were looking.
“We play Marlboro Academy on Wednesday, and we’ll face one of the toughest pitchers we’ll see all season,” Wallace explained about Lady Dragons ace and Richmond County native Jenna Greene. “We split with them last year, and it will be a good pitcher’s dual Wednesday night to open the season.
“I think we’re ready to start the season,” Wallace continued. “I’m not worried, as long as we do the little things. We can’t hit the balls we don’t swing at.”
“It’s good that we’re opening up the season to such a good team and good pitcher,” Bowers chimed in. “I’m glad that it’s early on so the younger girls will see the best of the best and won’t be as nervous with regular competition as the season goes on.
“Games like Wednesday’s are going to teach us a lot about each other and the game,” she concluded. “We’re only going to get better by playing good teams, and I’m excited to see how hard everyone is willing to work.”
The Lady Raiders welcome in Marlboro Academy at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, as their quest for a 4A state title begins against the reigning SCISA 2A state champions. So, it’s another opportunity to beat the best on the way to being the best.
