ROCKINGHAM — A six-run fifth inning, coupled with a stellar outing by junior pitcher Walker Lambeth, fueled Richmond Senior High School’s baseball team to a win during Tuesday’s opener.
Lining the base paths for the first time this spring, the Raiders shut out non-conference Montgomery Central High School 7-0.
Lambeth, a right-hander who made his first varsity start on the bump, hurled six shutout innings and allowed just five hits and punched out eight batters.
He stranded six runners on base, and said the command of his outside fastball helped shut the Timberwolves down.
Pitching the final inning with a seven-run cushion was senior closer Jude Howard. He recorded a ground out, a strikeout and a grounder to Lambeth at first secured the win for head coach Rob Ransom and the Raiders.
Facing starting pitcher Jaylon Allsbrook, the Raiders racked up all seven of their hits against him in his 4.1 innings of work. Junior Ethan Locklear led Richmond by going 2-for-3 at the dish with a double.
Six batters collected one hit apiece — seniors Altson Johnson, Cameron Way, Matthew Walker (double), Howard and junior Ethan Clayton. Recording an RBI in the victory were Howard, Clayton, Walker, junior Ashton Phifer and sophomore James Eason.
Senior Matthew Walker smokes an RBI double to the left-center gap in the fifth inning. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Richmond scored the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the first inning when Johnson, who led off with a single to left, scored on an error by shortstop Coleman Burris.
Montgomery Central (0-1) committed five errors on the night, which contributed to six unearned runs for the Raiders.
Lambeth went to work and stranded two runners in the second, sat the side down in order in the third, used a 4-6-3 double play to strand a runner in the fourth and faced just four batters in both the fifth and sixth innings.
The Raiders sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth to break the game open with six runs. An error at short on a ground ball by Way allowed Eason, who stole second, to score.
That was followed in the next at-bat by an RBI double from Walker to the left-center gap, and he scored two batters later when Howard beat out an infield single to Burris at the six-hole.
With runners on the corners, Clayton roped an RBI single to left, plating senior Colin Wheeler (error) to make it 5-0. Locklear was plunked by a pitch to load the bases and Allsbrook’s night was done.
Relief pitcher Cameron Vanness lasted just two batters and gave up a sacrifice fly to right by Phifer, scoring Howard. Richmond’s final run was scored two at-bats later thanks to a bases-loaded walk drawn by Eason.
Senior Jude Howard (23) crosses the plate in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s win. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Richmond (1-0) will return to action with a home game against non-conference Butler High School on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
JV Raiders also win in season opener
The Richmond junior varsity baseball team defeated Montgomery Central 6-3 to begin its season on Tuesday.
Freshman lefty Landon Taylor pitched four innings and gave up just two runs on two hits and struck out eight batters.
Fellow freshman Riley Brown tossed the other two innings, allowing one run on one hit and recorded three Ks.
Sophomore Isaac Hinshaw went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and two singles, and was responsible for three RBIs. Freshman Jeremiah Ritter also impressed with a pair of doubles and drove in a run.
Brown, Taylor and freshmen Mason Murray and Sam Thompson all collected one hit, with Murray’s going for two bases.
Richmond scored three runs in the first, before adding one run each in the second through fifth innings.
The JV Timberwolves scored two runs in the third and another in the fifth.
“Landon set the tone early by pounding the strike zone and we capitalized on some mistakes early,” head coach Ryan Mercer said. “We didn’t play our best baseball all around, but anytime you can start 1-0 you’ll definitely take it.”
The JV Raiders (1-0) will return to the diamond on the road at Montgomery Central on Friday.
