ROCKINGHAM — Small ball played a big part in keeping the Richmond Senior High School baseball team undefeated early in the season Saturday.
Keeping their rivalry alive with nearby Scotland High School, the Raiders stayed patient after losing a lead in the fourth inning and rallied to score a run each in the fifth and sixth innings to hold onto a 3-2 victory.
In what unfolded into a classic pitcher’s duel between Richmond’s Evan Hodges and Scotland’s Collin HIll, the low-scoring affair was won by the Raiders thanks to a couple of bunt singles and an error.
Third-year head coach Eric Brown, who has been a big advocate for small ball to produce runs in the past, was aggressive in his play calling Saturday.
Hodges pitched five innings and allowed his two earned runs in the top of the fourth. Hodges also struck out 10 Fighting Scots, which tied his single-game career-high, which he set against Pinecrest High School in last year’s conference tournament championship win.
After the Raiders tied the game in the fifth, sophomore reliever Devin Haynes entered the game on the mound and shut down any chance of Scotland scoring another run.
Tossing the last two innings, Haynes let the defense work and retired the Fighting Scots in order both times, with his one K coming against the final batter.
Hill threw four innings for the Fighting Scots and allowed just one run on one hit and had five strikeouts. Tabbed with the loss was Leo Garcia, who gave up two unearned runs on three hits across the fifth and sixth frames.
Hodges faced four batters in the top of the first and stranded a two-out single thanks to an athletic 6-3 putout for the final out by senior Caden Nolan to freshman Noah Stubbs. In the second, Hodges was even more dialed in, striking out the side in order on 16 pitches.
Nolan got the bottom of the second started with a free pass from Hill and quickly stole second base. Following a dropped third strikeout, Nolan raced to third base and set up Haynes to give the Raiders an early lead.
On the first offering of his at-bat, Haynes lined an RBI single into left field to score Nolan and make it 1-0.
Like the first inning, Hodges faced four Fighting Scots in the third frame, but this time struck out the side after allowing a two-out base knock.
Hill’s effort in the home half kept the Raiders’ bats in check, which led to Scotland scoring its two runs in the top of the fourth.
A leadoff double later scored on a two-out base hit, which was followed by an RBI triple to the left-center gap in the next at-bat, which was nearly hauled in by diving freshman left fielder Julius Bowden. With a runner at third, Hodges struck out Blain Callahan to end the threat.
The Raiders threatened to respond in the home half, as two-out free passes to Haynes and Drew McCaskill put runners on base. But Hill ended his outing with a strikeout to maintain Scotland’s one-run lead.
In his final inning of work, Hodges retired the Fighting Scots in order again in the fifth. He bookended a pair of Ks around a deep fly out to senior center fielder Jake Veach.
With Garcia taking over to start the fifth, Veach was plunked in the opening plate appearance. A base on balls to senior Maddox Locklear and a hustle play on a bunt single by junior Drew Gause loaded the bases with no outs.
Hodges dug in and nearly gave Richmond the lead, but his line drive was knocked down by Garcia, who turned a 1-2-5 fielder’s choice double play. Veach was out at the plate and Locklear didn’t beat the throw to third.
A head’s up play by Gause on the same double play, however, resulted in him advancing to third base when Scotland’s infielders weren’t paying attention.
With runners on first and third and two away, Nolan turned a ground ball to third base into a run when he reached safely thanks to a throwing error. Gause was able to cross the plate to tie the game 2-2.
Haynes relied on the defense for a 1-2-3 top of the sixth. Freshman Nate Culbreth tracked down a deep fly out in right field for the first out. Stubbs helped make the next two outs, first scooping a 6-3 putout out of the dirt, followed by catching a pop up along the first base line in foul territory.
Richmond needed just two pitches and two batters to score the game-winning run in the home half of the sixth. Haynes led off with a seeing-eye single back up the middle to reach first base.
McCaskill stepped to the plate and laid down a bunt in no-man’s land. Beating the throw to the bag, McCaskill was credited with a single, but Garcia overthrew Hill at first. Turning on the jets, Haynes sped all the way from first to home to dive safely across home plate for the winning run.
Swiping third with one out, McCaskill was left stranded when Garcia got the final two outs on a K and a fly out.
Haynes was again quick in the top of the seventh, as a fly out to Culbreth in right field and another 6-3 putout by Nolan and Stubbs took just three pitches. Ending the game was a five-pitch swinging strikeout to Callahan.
With his two hits, Haynes had half of Richmond’s total in the win. Bunt singles by Gause and McCaskill were the other two.
Richmond (2-0) will look to take the non-conference sweep and keep Scotland (0-2) winless when the team travels to Laurinburg Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Saturday’s win later this weekend.
