CORNELIUS, N.C. — The Richmond Senior High School baseball team saw its season come to an end Friday at Hough High School.
On the road looking to upset the No. 7 Huskies in the second round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A state playoffs, the No. 10 Raiders nearly did, but fell short in a 3-1 decision.
Despite senior starting pitcher Tyler Bass and reliever Cameron Carraway holding the Huskies to just one hit, four Raider errors contributed to all three of Hough’s runs. Bass threw 3.1 innings, gave up the lone hit and allowed three unearned runs.
Carraway, also a senior, came in and tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, sitting down the final eight batters he faced in order. Bass and Carraway threw in both playoff games this week for Richmond, with Carraway earning the win in a 12-inning marathon against R.J. Reynolds High School on Tuesday.
Starting for the Huskies was Jake Whitman, who allowed his only run of the night in the top of the second inning. He lasted just 2.1 innings before being replaced with Adam Bennett, who went the rest of the way for the Huskies.
The win for Hough (19-9) marked the first time since 2012 the Huskies have made it out of the second round of the state playoffs. Richmond tallied 19 wins on the season, the most its had in a single spring since 2016, and finished with a 19-9 overall record.
Osteen led off the home half of the first with a walk and scored the game’s first run three batters later. Richmond right fielder Garret Richardson committed an error on a Wesley Lug fly ball, allowing Luke Osteen to score.
Senior Raider catcher Garet Weigman tied the game in the top of the second when he belted an RBI double to center field. The ball was a few feet short of being a home run, but the two-bagger brought in Carraway, who led off the inning with a single.
The Raiders would have runners on second and third in both the top of the second and third innings, but failed to bring them in. Through the final four innings, Richmond would strand four more runners on the base paths.
Hough would add solo runs in the third and fourth innings to punch its ticket to the third round. Following an Osteen leadoff single in the third, Bass came back with back-to-back flyouts to the No. 2 and No. 3 hitters.
But two consecutive walks to Lug and Jake DaCosta loaded the bases, and Osteen would score on a passed ball at the plate to make it 2-1.
In the fourth, Spencer DeMarcus led off by reaching base safely on an error by senior Hunter Parris at third. Courtesy runner Aiden Evans would swipe second and advance to third on an errant pickoff throw from Bass.
On the next pitch, Jeffrey Frey flied out to Nolan Allen in center, seeing Evans tag up on the sacrifice fly.
The rest of the game would go quietly for both teams, with neither team putting a man in scoring position.
At the plate, head coach Ricky Young’s Raiders collected six hits, with a game-high coming from senior Jake Ranson (both singles). Adding base knocks were Bass, Carraway and Richardson, along with Weigman’s double.
Friday’s game marked the final time that 12 seniors would suit up for the Raiders. Hough advanced and will play No. 2 Providence High School in the West bracket.
ROSports will publish a comprehensive season recap next week.
