RALEIGH — Time and again Tuesday, the Richmond Senior High School baseball team used its pitching and defense to remain competitive.
Returning to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 4A East playoffs for the second straight season under the direction of head coach Eric Brown, the Raiders nearly pulled off a first-round upset.
No. 20 Richmond battled inning-for-inning with No. 13 Leesville Road, but lost a 1-0 heartbreaker in 11 innings.
In true pitcher’s duel fashion, with the help of their respective defenses, the Raiders and Pride traded scoreless frames late into the night.
Richmond’s efforts in the field were undone on an error and a base hit in the 11th inning, while its bats weren’t able to connect for a timely despite getting several chances to do so.
Putting together spectacular performances in what proved to be their final outings for Richmond were seniors Jason Walker and Jeremiah Ritter.
Getting the start, Walker hung a zero in the run column through 6.2 innings, leaving the game only because of the pitch count. He allowed just two hits and hosed five Pride batters via the strikeout.
In 3.2 innings of relief, Ritter struck out four batters and surrendered an unearned run on three hits. Together, Walker and Ritter stranded 11 base runners throughout the extra-inning affair.
A one-out RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning scored the game-winning run for Leesville Road (18-7). The leadoff batter reached on an error and moved to second on a stolen base.
Not without their chances to score, the Raiders stranded 12 base runners in the game, including eight in scoring position. Richmond outhit the Pride, collecting eight hits to Leesville Road’s five hits.
“This was a tough one tonight,” Brown said afterward. “I’m so proud of this team, not only for how well the guys battled tonight, but all season. We achieved so much this year. It may be tough to see now, but these guys won a lot of games and won a conference tournament. There is nothing to hang their heads about.
“I love these guys and would do anything for any of them,” he added. “Jason and Jeremiah threw so well tonight that I couldn’t ask for anything more. They are two of our six seniors who I’ve enjoyed getting the chance to coach, and we’ll miss all of them and their leadership next season.”
Junior Evan Hodges had Richmond’s first hit of the night, a two-out double in the first, but was left stranded. Walker worked out of a two-one, one-out jam in the bottom half thanks to a 3-6-3 inning-ending double play between sophomore Collin Hill and junior Caden Nolan.
With two runners in scoring position an inning later, Walker induced a ground ball to Hill at first for the final out.
The top of the third saw senior Landon Taylor (error) and Hodges (hit-by-pitch) reach safely with two away, but a strikeout ended the threat. Walker sat Leesville Road’s top of the batting order down in order in the home half.
Later in the fifth inning, Walker registered another 1-2-3 inning to keep the game scoreless. He got the last two outs in the field, completing a 1-3 putout and catching a pop out on the mound.
Taylor (walk) and Hodges (single) led off the sixth inning and chased starting pitcher Alex Higdon (5.1 inning, four hits). Following a fielder’s choice that got the lead runner, Hill connected on a line drive single to center field.
Ritter, courtesy running for Hodges, was waved home but the relay to the plate beat him for the second out.
Flashing the leather in the bottom of the sixth, Taylor made a sliding catch in foul territory down the left field line. Popping up, he kept a runner from advancing from first base. Walker got a strikeout and a fly out to junior Jake Veach in center to strand two more runners.
Both teams went in order in the seventh frame. Ritter needed just four pitches to record the final out after entering the game, which was a sliding grab by senior Conner Phifer in right field.
Heading to extra innings, Richmond put two runners on base with one out in the eighth. They were Taylor (single) and Hodges (walk). The Raiders’ chance to capitalize stalled on an infield fly call and a fielder’s choice.
Ritter worked out of a pair of jams in the eighth and nine innings. With two on and one out in the eighth, he used a flyout and a strikeout to send the game to the ninth.
An inning later, a leadoff single for the Pride and an errant pickoff attempt put the potential game-winning run at third base. Unfazed, Ritter retired the next three batters in order, sandwiching a pair of strikeouts around a pop out in fair territory to Hill near Richmond’s dugout.
Taylor doubled with one gone in the 10th inning and a fielder’s choice on a grounder by Nolan put runners on the corners with two away. Leesville Road escaped the inning on a lineout back up the middle.
Again, Ritter extended the game by eliminating two leadoff runners to start the bottom of the 10th. An infield fly was followed by a strikeout and Nolan tracking down a pop up in shallow left field.
What proved to be their final inning at the plate, the Raiders sent four batters to the box. Ritter helped his cause with a two-out double, but was left on base following a strikeout.
Notching two hits apiece, including one double each, were Taylor and Hodges. Ritter had a two-bagger, while Hill, Walker and sophomore Drew Gause each had a single.
The Raiders finished the 2025 season with a 17-10 overall record (.630 winning percentage), three more wins than the season before. That marked the most wins in a single season for the program since 2019 (19 wins).
Against Sandhills Athletic Conference teams, Richmond was 8-4 and the Raiders earned second place in the regular season standings for the second straight season.
Defeating top-seeded Pinecrest High School 5-3 in the SAC tournament championship May 1, Richmond clinched its first conference crown since the 2015 season. The Raiders did so in Brown’s second season at his alma mater.
Walker and Nolan each led the team with five wins on the mound this spring. Walker threw 58.0 innings with 68 strikeouts and a 1.09 earned run average. Nolan’s line consisted of 47.0 innings, 68 strikeouts and a 2.09 ERA.
Hodges also pitched well in 2025, recording three wins in 27.1 innings with 26 strikeouts and a 2.56 ERA. Of the three primary pitchers, Walker had the lowest batting average against (.171).
Leading the Raiders at the plate in batting average (minimum 50 at-bats) were Taylor (.411), Hodges (.380), Nolan (.338) and Hill (.253). Taylor’s 37 hits led the team, while Hodges’ nine doubles and Nolan’s two homers were team-highs.
A trio of players each drove in double-digit RBI — Nolan (19), Hill (18) and Hodges (12). Taylor led the team in runs scored (27) and senior Jabari Douglas and Nolan were tied for the second most (14).
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Tuesday’s playoff game later this week, as well as the All-SAC team when it’s released.
