ROCKINGHAM — Starting its three-game week at home Monday, the Richmond Senior High School softball team dotted the scoreboard en route to its second straight win.
Hosting Anson High School for a non-conference game, the Lady Raiders led from the second inning on in a 9-4 victory.
Richmond scored three runs in consecutive innings in the second and third frames, and added a run in the fourth. The bottom of the sixth yielded the final two insurance runs for the team.
Senior Madelynn Pearson was the pitcher of record, earning the win with a complete game performance. Striking out seven batters, Pearson allowed just four earned runs on eight hits.
Anson took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a solo homer. The Lady Raiders answered with a three-run bottom of the second to take the lead for good.
With no outs and sophomore Emma Rusich (walk) on third base, freshman Carley McCormick tied the game on an RBI fielder’s choice. The ground ball to the left side of the infield was thrown home, where Rusich slid under the tag attempt to score.
Tied 1-1, Richmond scored two more runs when junior Kinsie Lyerly (walk) crossed home on a passed ball and McCormick scored on the same sequence when the catcher’s throw back to the plate was errant.
Leading 3-2 to start the bottom of the third, Lyerly swatted an RBI single on the ground to left field with two outs to plate Rusich (bunt single).
A pair of errors by the Lady Bearcats (7-14) allowed Richmond to extend its lead to 7-3. A throwing error on a grounder to short by freshman Lexi Smith scored Lyerly and a pickoff attempt by the catcher to try and get McCormick (walk) at third hit her in the back and trickled down the line.
In the bottom of the fourth, junior Hayden Robinson powered an RBI double that one-hopped its way to the wall in left field. Racing in from second base to pad the lead to five runs was senior Jakayla Steele (error).
Pearson allowed Anson to score a run in the fifth and faced just four batters in the sixth.
Lyerly capped her three-RBI game with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. Splitting the middle infielders with a hard ground ball to center field with the bases loaded, Lyerly drove in sophomore Kalynn McCormick (walk) and Steele (single).
In the top of the seventh, Anson recorded its final run after a leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly. Pearson settled in and retired two of the next three batters to end the game.
The Lady Raiders (8-12, 5-6 Sandhills Athletic Conference) will travel to Scotland High School (16-1, 11-0 SAC) Thursday to close out conference play. First pitch is at 7 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: The Richmond junior varsity softball team didn’t play Monday.
