SPRING LAKE — An uncharacteristic night at the plate and in the field kept the Richmond Senior High School baseball team from earning a three-game sweep Friday.
Traveling to Overhills High School, the Raiders closed their Mid-South Conference series with the Jaguars with an 8-3 loss.
Just its second loss to a conference opponent this season, Richmond still managed to take the season series by winning the first two games, including Tuesday’s victory.
The chances to score were there for the Raiders, who stranded a total of 12 base runners, which saw eight runners left in scoring position. Twice the team left the bases loaded to end an inning.
Richmond took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning, but Overhills responded with all eight of its runs over the next four bottom halves.
Another run in the seventh pulled the Raiders within five runs, but a strikeout with the bases loaded left the potential tying run in the on deck circle.
Senior Evan Hodges made the start and pitched four innings. His line was six runs (four earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts.
Sophomore Devin Haynes tossed the other two innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits with three Ks. Richmond’s defense committed three errors in the game.
With one out and two runners on base, senior Caden Nolan connected for an RBI single to get the scoring started. Senior Jake Veach, who reached on a free pass two batters prior, scored from third.
Hodges helped himself out in the next at-bat, squaring up the first offering for an RBI double to left field. Senior Maddox Locklear (single) scored to make it 2-0.
Despite having runners on the corners with one out, a fielder’s choice to home and a fly out in the next two at-bats ended the inning.
The Jaguars used a two-out, two-RBI double to tie the game in the bottom half.
Overhills went ahead 4-2 an inning later as the result of an RBI groundout and a run scored following a double.
Richmond loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth, but a dropped third strike and the ensuing out recorded at the plate ended the potentially big inning.
A three-run fifth for the Jaguars scored runs on a passed ball, a wild pitch and a steal of home. That made it 7-2.
Overhills’ last run came in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out RBI single.
The Raiders loaded the bases with their first three batters in the seventh, and with one out, Nolan (single) scored on an error. Strikeouts to two of the next three batters ended that game with the bases still full of Raiders.
Hodges and Nolan each finished with two hits and an RBI. Adding a single apiece were Veach, Locklear and freshmen Noah Stubbs and Julius Bowden.
The Raiders (16-5, 11-2 MSC) hit the road Saturday for a non-conference game at Myers Park High School (19-3). First pitch with the Mustangs is set for 5 p.m.
JV Raiders drop finale with Overhills
An early lead came undone for the Richmond junior varsity baseball team at Overhills Friday.
The JV Raiders lost 6-5 in four innings (time limit) despite leading by three runs after the first inning.
The JV Jags rallied with four runs in the third and erased a one-run deficit with two runs in the fourth. Richmond’s other two runs came in the top of the fourth.
Making the start was freshman Conner Locklear, who pitched three innings. He gave up six runs (four earned) on six hits and two strikeouts.
Freshman Colton Nelson took over in the fourth and put up zeroes save for two hits. An RBI single with the bases loaded walked it off for Overhills.
Leading Richmond with two RBI was freshman Cooper Gainey, who had a double. Nelson added a pair of singles and recorded one RBI.
Freshman Jaxton Watson recorded Richmond’s fourth and final RBI and had a base hit. Freshman Sam O’Neal matched Nelson’s two hits for the team lead, both singles.
Other players with one of Richmond’s eight hits were freshmen Jackson Parsons (triple) and Nate Culbreth (single).
The JV Raiders (10-5, 10-3 MSC) will also play at Myers Park Saturday and begin at 2 p.m.
Sports editor's note: Game information and statistics provided by Richmond's GameChanger accounts.
