RAEFORD — Returning to the win column Friday, the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity baseball team scored most of its runs in the final inning.
On the road at Hoke County High School, the JV Raiders won the Mid-South Conference game 8-2 in five innings (time limit).
Richmond used a seven-run top of the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie.
Pitching a complete game for the JV Raiders was freshman Colton Nelson. In his five innings, he allowed two earned runs on eight hits, four walks and had six strikeouts.
“This was a well-earned win today,” head coach Anthony Hailey said. “Hoke County played us tough until that last inning and we had to dig deep and find a little grit with the bats. When it mattered, the guys came through.
“Colton pitched a great game and was in command from the first pitch to the last out,” he added. “When we get that kind of pitching, and some good plays on defense like we had, we can focus more on our job at the plate, which we did well with today.”
Hoke County took a 1-0 lead after the first inning thanks to a leadoff walk and a two-out double.
Answering with a run in the top of the third, freshman Brody Bryant started the inning when he reached on an infield error.
Two batters later, sophomore Kerick Hairston Jr. connected on an RBI double to score Bryant and tie the game.
The defense helped keep the bottom of the third inning short when the second out was recorded by freshman catcher Sam O’Neal at third base. He tagged out a base runner who was caught in a rundown.
Nelson followed the big play with a strikeout for the third out to keep the game tied.
Richmond had chances to score in the third and fourth innings, but stranded runners on the corners and then two runners in scoring position.
Facing five batters in the bottom of the fourth, Nelson let the first two batters on base but got out of the inning by leaving them stranded. That led to the breakaway top of the fifth.
With one out and the bases loaded, freshman Jaxton Watson was plunked by a pitch and was credited with an RBI when freshman courtesy runner Nate Erwin (running for Nelson, walk) trotted home.
Later with two away and the bases still full of JV Raiders, freshman Conner Locklear hit a two-RBI single to right field to score freshman Nate Culbreth (hit-by-pitch) and O’Neal (error).
Leading 4-1, Richmond’s next run scored when Watson raced home on a passed ball. Hairston Jr. drew a bases-loaded free pass to score Locklear.
Up by five runs, the JV Raiders’ final two runs came off the bat of Nelson. He hit a seeing-eye chopper back up the middle to plate Bryant (walk) and Erwin.
Hoke scored its only other run in the bottom half thanks to an RBI double. Nelson limited the damage when he got a double play and a ground out to end the game.
The JV Raiders (2-1, 2-1 MSC) will return to the diamond Saturday for a non-conference game against Weddington High School. First pitch is set for noon.
