LAURINBURG — The Richmond Senior High School junior varsity softball team suffered its first conference loss Thursday.
On the road at Scotland High School, the JV Lady Raiders lost 8-6 in six innings (time limit).
Splitting the season series with the JV Lady Scots, Richmond trailed by as many as five runs early before trying to make a comeback in the later innings.
The JV Lady Raiders scored a run in the second inning and later trailed 6-1 after four innings. The team scored three runs in the fifth and its final two runs in the top of the sixth.
Striking out seven batters, freshman Madison Hancock pitched five innings. She allowed eight runs, with only three of them earned, on five hits. Richmond committed six errors in the field.
Trailing 3-0 to start the top of the second, Abigail Hinson got Richmond on the board with an RBI single. Scoring was Hancock, who singled to lead off the inning.
With Scotland ahead 6-1 entering the fifth frame, freshman Sydney Barnes cut the deficit in half when she tripled home sophomore Macie King (fielder’s choice) and sophomore Madeline Carriker (single).
In the next at-bat, Hancock helped herself out and made it a 6-4 game with an RBI base knock to center field.
After Scotland scored its final two runs in the bottom half, the JV Lady Raiders made an effort to take the lead. Carriker connected on a two-RBI double to center field to pull within two runs.
With no outs, Barnes drew a walk to put two runners on. With Hancock at the plate representing the go-ahead run, the game was called due to the time limit.
The JV Lady Raiders (9-3, 5-1 SAC) will conclude their season following spring break.
