FAYETTEVILLE — Using some crafty base running and another solid starting pitching performance helped the Richmond Raider baseball team advance in the Terry Sanford Easter Invitational.
Playing the host Bulldogs in the semifinal round of the winner’s bracket, the Raiders held on for a 4-1 win on Monday.
In what proved to be a battle of starting pitchers, the Raiders used a six-inning performance from sophomore Camron Seagraves to earn the win. Terry Sanford’s Nathan Brown tossed 6.2 innings, and both pitchers were pulled after reaching the pitch count (105 pitches).
Earning his team-leading fourth victory of the spring on the mound, Seagraves brought a little extra energy to the bump against the Bulldogs (14-4). He collected eight strikeouts and limited Terry Sanford to one run on five hits.
Senior pitcher Cameron Way came in and shut the door in the seventh after inheriting runners on first and second with no outs. He got a fly out, a strikeout and a line out to Jude Howard at first base for the game’s final out.
Sophomore Camron Seagraves throws a pitch in the second inning of Monday’s win over Terry Sanford. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
The Raiders only registered two hits in the win, a single each from seniors Alston Johnson and Matthew Walker. But a four-run top of the third inning that saw eight batters go to the plate proved to be the difference maker.
Howard (error) and junior Ethan Locklear (walk) led off the third, and Johnson recorded an RBI with a hard-hit single up the middle. Johnson squared around to bunt to pull the Bulldogs out of double play depth, before turning on a pitch for a hit and bringing in Howard from second.
A walk to Way in the next at-bat loaded the bases and Walker registered Richmond’s only other RBI on a sacrifice fly to left field to make it 2-0.
Another base on balls by Brown to senior Colin Wheeler kept the bases loaded with one out. With junior Ethan Clayton at the plate, Johnson broke from third to steal home while Clayton appeared to try and bunt the ball.
Johnson slid under the tag from catcher Lance Noon on the pitch from Brown, putting Richmond ahead 3-0.
Way scored the Raiders’ final run two pitches later when a passed ball skipped to the backstop.
Senior Matthew Walker connects on a sacrifice fly to left field in the top of the third inning. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Terry Sanford’s lone run of the game came on a bases-loaded walk to Brady Gore in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Seagraves retired the Bulldogs in order in the first, stranded two runners in scoring position in the second and faced just four batters in the third, fourth and sixth frames.
Both teams had opportunities to score, seeing Richmond leave six runners on base and the Bulldogs strand nine runners.
The win for the Raiders extended their current winning streak to three games, while it also ended a five-game streak for Terry Sanford.
Richmond (12-5) will play for the championship on Tuesday against conference foe Pinecrest High School (14-4). The game will begin at 7 p.m.
