ROCKINGHAM — For the second time this season, the Richmond Senior High School softball team earned a series sweep of an opponent Thursday.
Capping their two-game Mid-South Conference set with Jack Britt High School, the Lady Raiders also recorded their first back-to-back wins of the season.
Using the pop of its bats in the early innings, Richmond defeated the Lady Buccaneers 9-5.
The longball in the first inning provided a 3-0 lead for the Lady Raiders, who built their lead to 5-0 after two complete frames.
Jack Britt cut the deficit to a run in the top of the fourth, which was answered by a four-run inning in the home half by Richmond. Solo runs in the fifth and seventh frames by the Lady Bucs (1-13, 1-3 MSC) wasn’t enough to undo the Lady Raiders’ lead.
A tandem of pitchers combined in the win for Richmond, as starting sophomore pitcher Mackenzie Quick pitched the first four innings. She allowed three earned runs on four hits and struck out six Lady Bucs.
In relief, freshman Claire Clark tossed three innings. She gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and Kd five batters.
Following a 1-2-3 top of the first by Quick, senior leadoff batter Hayden Robinson needed to see just two pitches before giving Richmond the lead. On a 1-0 offering, Robinson powered a solo home run, her team-leading sixth bomb of the season, over the fence in left field to get the scoring starter.
Junior Jorja Moore reached safely on an error in the next plate appearance, which led to Quick helping herself out. Three pitches into her at-bat, Quick muscled a two-run shot to left-center field to give the Lady Raiders a 3-0 lead.
With two gone and two runners in scoring position an inning later, Clark drove in the first two of her team-high three runs batted in. She connected on a line drive double that brought home sophomore Lexi Smith (single) and Robinson (single) to extend the lead to 5-0.
A pair of doubles by the Lady Bucs in the top of the fourth got them on the board and made it a 5-3 game.
Clark recorded her final RBI in the bottom half, doubling home Moore (hit-by-pitch). Later with two outs, sophomore Sydney Barnes hit an RBI single to center to bring in Quick (double).
A steal of home by Clark and a run scored by Barnes on a passed ball accounted for Richmond’s other two runs in the inning. Heading to the fifth, Richmond was up 9-3.
Scoring a run on a dropped third strike in the fifth, and adding another run via a two-out RBI single in the seventh, is how Jack Britt ended the game’s scoring.
Six of Richmond’s 11 hits went for extra bases – homers by Robinson and Quick, three doubles by Clark and another two-bagger by Quick. Connecting for singles were Robinson, Barnes, Smith, sophomore Madison Hancock and junior Macie King.
Quick contributed two RBI, with Robinson and Barnes each driving in one run.
Inching closer to the .500 mark, the Lady Raiders (5-8, 3-1 MSC) will enjoy spring break and return April 14. They’ll travel to Hoke County High School to open their series with the Lady Bucks.
Click here to read about the Richmond JV softball team’s win Thursday.
Sports editor’s note: Game information and statistics provided by Richmond’s GameChanger.
