FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. - The Richmond Rattlers hit the road for the first time this season, its second game in as many nights, traveling up US Highway 1 to face off against Fuquay-Varina High School’s summer league team.
The Rattlers opened their season Wednesday against Holly Springs, falling late to the Socks 3-2 despite a late surge by the Rattlers’ bats. Richmond was on the wrong end of the score Thursday as well, as the senior Lions team downed the senior Rattlers 13-3 in five innings.
During the spring 2018 season, the Fuquay-Varina varsity baseball team won the NCHSAA 4A state championship, coming back to beat Ardrey Kell High School in three games.
Competing in the Central Carolina Scholastic Summer League, head coach Ricky Young’s band of varsity players was without seven of its usual players Thursday, two of whom are rising seniors Cameron Carraway and Jake Ransom. The duo wrapped up its first day at the Powerade State Games, representing the Region IV team. The absences of all seven players is something Young attributed to his team’s lack of run production.
“We had seven guys out tonight,” Young said in a phone call to the Richmond Observer. “That put us a little short in the pitching department, too. We walked nine batters and were down 8-0 in the first (inning). I don’t care what kind of program they are, if we can’t throw strikes, we can’t compete with anybody.”
Richmond was able to strike offensively in the third and fifth innings, as rising senior Hunter Parris, who pitched the majority of Wednesday’s opener, hit a two-run double in the third inning scoring Garret Richardson and Garet Weigman. Two frames later in the top of the fifth, Blake Hall doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored the Rattlers’ final run of the night when Dawson Bryant hit a sacrifice fly.
“We had a few decent at-bats, and Hunter’s double gave us two of our three runs,” Young commented on his team’s offensive performance. “Defensively, we didn’t play bad at all -- we made plays, but just gave them too many free bases. We can’t compete if we give up walks.”
Starting on the hill for Richmond was rising senior and left-hander Logan Moore, who was replaced by rising junior Luke Preslar in the first inning. Young put in Dallas Cowick in the second inning, and explained Cowick was able to “stop the bleeding,” going into the fifth inning before Tyler Bass closed things out.
Noting that there wasn’t “a lot of positives” from the game against the Lions, Young did speak to the opportunity that the summer baseball program presents to all of his players, young guys and veterans alike.
“When we got guys out, the guys who are there are getting opportunities,” Young said. “And when they get those opportunities, they need to take advantage of them. That’s one (good) thing about this summer league -- everybody gets his opportunity and they have to be able to make the most of it.”
As the season moves forward, Young hopes to see his players on both the senior and junior teams continue to develop and prepare for the high school season. Most importantly, however, will be the development of the team’s pitching depth.
“Hunter threw a lot of big innings for us this past season,” Young concluded. “We’ll have him, Cameron, Tyler, Alex Anderson and Evan Hudson. And then there’s Mitchell Paul (another lefty) who will be moving up from junior varsity, and he pitched well last night (against Holly Springs).
“There will be several guys who will have their opportunities, and whoever’s doing the job will get the ball,” he added. “That’s why this summer is so important for all of them to condition for next year.”
The Rattlers will take a few days off from competition before hosting Pinecrest High School on Wednesday, June 20. The junior team will play first at 4:30 p.m., followed by the senior team at 7 p.m. Both games will be at RSHS’ field.
Note: The junior team finished its game Thursday against the Lions in a 9-9 tie as the time limit was reached.
