ROCKINGHAM — Celebrating its seniors Tuesday, the Richmond Senior High School softball team also got to celebrate another conference victory.
The Lady Raiders returned to the win column following Monday’s loss and won their second consecutive Mid-South Conference contest in the process.
In a high-scoring affair, the Lady Raiders used a couple of big innings to defeat Overhills High School 13-11.
Lyerly and Robinson both contributed to the win at the plate. Collecting two base hits and one run batted in was Robinson, and Lyerly finished with a base hit and two RBI.
Richmond led 5-1 after the first inning and added another run in the bottom of the second to hold a 6-2 advantage.
Solo runs in the fourth and sixth frames were sandwiched around a five-run fifth inning, which proved to be enough to give the Lady Raiders the win.
Also having a big night was junior starting pitcher Emma Rusich. She pitched five innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts. At the plate, she went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBI.
Pitching in relief, sophomore Mackenzie Quick threw the final two innings. Her line was five runs (three earned) on two hits and four Ks.
After Overhills took a one-run lead in the top of the first, Richmond answered with its first of two five-run innings in the game. With two outs, Lyerly plated the first two runs when she singled to left field and scored sophomore Sydney Barnes (single) and freshman Claire Clark (single).
Back-to-back singles by sophomores Madison Hancock and Lexi Smith, two of Richmond’s 18 hits, loaded the bases for Rusich. Lyerly scored on a passed ball and Rusich recorded her first two RBI on a double to left field to make it 5-1.
Barnes doubled with two gone in the home half of the second, one of her three hits, and scored when Clark hit an RBI single back up the middle. Clark led Richmond with three RBI.
Leading 6-4 to start the bottom of the fourth, Richmond built a three-run cushion when Robinson (single) scored following an error.
Overhills kept the game close by cutting its deficit to a run, 7-6, in the top of the fifth. Again, the Lady Raiders answered at the plate to maintain the lead. Sophomore Carley McCormick recorded her first of two hits and her one RBI when she singled home Hancock (leadoff single).
In the next at-bat, Robinson barreled a line drive RBI single to center, which brought home Smith (single). Doing a job on the next pitch, junior Jorja Moore grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice and hustled to beat the throw to first, giving McCormick time to score.
Capping the five-run inning was a two-RBI triple by Clark, who matched Barnes for the team lead with three hits. Racing home to make it 12-6 were junior courtesy runner Kaylan Parsons and Barnes (single).
The Lady Jags scored three runs in the sixth to make it a three-run lead for Richmond. For good measure in the home half, Richmond benefitted from two errors that led to Hancock scoring for the team’s final run.
Overhills got two runs back thanks to a pair of errors with one out in the seventh. Buckling down, Quick got back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and leave a runner at third base.
Of Richmond’s 18 hits, five went for extra-bases. Rusich had two doubles, Clark knocked a triple, and both McCormick and Barnes had a double.
The Lady Raiders (7-11, 5-2 MSC) will close their series with Overhills on the road Friday (9-8, 3-3 MSC) at 6:30 p.m.
JV Lady Raiders win 11th straight game
Continuing its tear Tuesday, the Richmond junior varsity softball team won its 11th straight game and remained undefeated in MSC play.
Also hosting Overhills, the JV Lady Raiders defeated the JV Lady Jaguars 15-0 in four innings (mercy rule).
Richmond scored eight runs in the first inning, another run in the second inning, four more runs in the third frame and ended the game early with two runs in the fourth.
Freshman Autumn Cooper pitched a complete game and allowed just one hit, while striking out six batters.
Sophomore Annabelle Millen went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a team-high three RBI. Cooper knocked two hits, including a triple, and finished with two RBI, and sophomore Kaylee Connor drove in two RBI on a hit.
Freshman Grace Hill added a single and a double and one RBI. Sophomores Jordyn Chappell and Abby Hinson, along with freshman Lyra Newton, all contributed a hit and a run driven in.
Sophomore Liz Lunceford rounded out Ricmond’s 12-hit effort with a single. Newton’s hit was a double, Richmond’s fifth extra-base hit.
The JV Lady Raiders (12-1, 7-0 MSC) will travel to Overhills Friday and begin at 5 p.m.
