ROCKINGHAM — Chances were presented for the Richmond Senior High School baseball team to even its series with Pinecrest High School Friday.
An early lead for the Raiders in the Sandhills Athletic Conference game, however, slipped away in the middle innings and resulted in a 3-2 loss to their Moore County rivals.
A pair of errors led to two of Pinecrest’s runs, which scored its three runs between the fourth and fifth frames.
Friday’s matchup featured a pitchers’ duel between junior Caden Nolan and the Patriots’ Bohdi Robertson.
Nolan made his second start of the season for the Raiders and dealt six innings from the mound. Only one of his three runs allowed was earned and Nolan struck out five batters while giving up six hits.
Robertson pitched a complete game and surrendered two runs (one earned) on five hits. He struck out nine batters.
After Nolan stranded a runner at third base in the top of the first, Richmond took a 1-0 lead in the home half. Senior Jabari Douglas ripped a single into left field to lead off the inning, and later scored when a Robertson wild pitch skipped to the backstop.
Nolan faced just four batters in the top of the second inning and sat the Patriots (5-2, 2-0 SAC) down in order in the third to preserve the one-run lead.
Pinecrest got its first two batters on base in the top of the fourth, but Nolan answered with two quick outs on a 1-5 fielder’s choice and a strikeout.
Looking to get out of the inning unscathed, a ground ball to the right side of the infield resulted in a throwing error that let the lead runner score from second base and tie it 1-1. Nolan ended the threat with a runner on third with a punchout.
Senior Landon Taylor led off the bottom half with an infield single but was stranded on base. He was one of four base runners left on the bags in the game for Richmond.
The Patriots scored their second and third runs in the top of the fourth, again with two away. An RBI double to the alley in right-center tied the game before a throwing error on a chopper to short allowed the eventual game-winning run to score.
Senior Riley Brown (error) and sophomore Drew Gause (single) reached safely to start the bottom of the fourth. But Robertson worked out of the jam by getting a strikeout, a fielder’s choice and picking off a runner at first.
Junior catcher Evan Hodges eliminated potential scoring chances for the Patriots in the fifth and sixth innings. He snagged would-be base stealers at second and third base to end each inning, respectively.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Taylor hustled out an infield single down the third base line, his team-leading second hit of the game. He moved to second on a ground out and advanced to third when Nolan lined a single into left field.
Senior Jeremiah Ritter, who would pitch the seventh inning for Richmond, entered the game to pinch run for Nolan. Taking off for second base, Ritter put on a swim move around the tag to beat the throw, which allowed Taylor to race home on the double steal and make it 3-2.
A wild pitch allowed Ritter to move up another 90 feet, but the rally came to an end with a ground out back to the mound.
Ritter was efficient from the bump in the seventh, recording two quick outs. A one-out double was undone when Hodges hosed JC Woolard trying to swipe third base.
Down to its final half inning, Richmond got a base runner on when freshman Devin Haynes reached on an error through the right side of the infield with two outs. But Robertson recorded his final strikeout to end the game.
Richmond (3-5, 1-3 SAC) starts a pivotal 4A conference series against Hoke County Tuesday. Game one will be at home against the Bucks (1-6, 0-3 SAC), followed by a road game Friday. Both matchups will start at 7 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: Statistics and game information provided by Richmond’s Game Changer. A photo slideshow of Friday’s game will be published this weekend.
