ROCKINGHAM — It’s not often that a double-digit error performance ends in a victory, but that was the case for the Richmond Senior High School baseball team Thursday.
In fact, Richmond head coach Eric Brown said he’s “never seen that (kind of outcome) before.”
An uncharacteristic night in the field forced the Raiders to play from behind for all of their meeting with Jack Britt High School, except for the final play of the game.
Completing the three-game regular-season series sweep of the Buccaneers, the Raiders rallied to earn a 13-12 walk-off win.
With the bases loaded and two outs, sophomore Devin Haynes played hero with a game-winning RBI single back up the middle.
Committing 11 total errors in the game, Richmond booted the ball around for six errors in the first inning alone. That gave the Buccaneers a 6-0 lead.
The Raiders’ first two runs were scored in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to 7-2. Down seven runs to start the bottom of the fourth, Richmond scored a run in that inning.
Answering Brown’s call to “chip away” and “dig deep,” Richmond completed the comeback with two runs in the fifth and four runs in both the sixth and seventh frames.
A three-pitcher effort was used Thursday for the Raiders, starting with senior Evan Hodges, who pitched two-thirds of an inning. Four of his six runs allowed were unearned on six hits.
Junior Tristan Chavis carried the bulk of the innings, throwing 4.1 frames of relief. He held the Bucs to three runs (one earned) on two hits with four strikeouts.
Credited with the win was senior Maddox Locklear, who made his first appearance of the season. In his two innings of work, he gave up three unearned runs on two hits with one K.
Junior Drew Gause, who had a team-high four hits, and sophomore Drew McCaskill scored on an error and a passed ball, respectively, to get Richmond on the board in the second.
Cutting their deficit to six runs, 9-3, in the home half of the fourth, the Raiders saw Haynes score on an error committed off the bat of freshman Julius Bowden.
Getting warmed up for his walk-off celebration, Haynes, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI, smoked a standup two-RBI triple in the fifth. Scoring on the play were Hodges (hit-by-pitch) and Gause (single) to pull within four runs, 9-5.
Jack Britt took advantage of some more defensive miscues in the top of the sixth, which led to three runs and a 12-5 advantage. But as the teams traded positions in the field, the sound of the comeback train could be heard leaving the station.
Senior Jake Veach got the four-run bottom of the sixth started with a leadoff double. Scoring him one pitch later was Bowden, who roped an RBI triple.
An error on a Locklear grounder to the right side scored Bowden, and an opposite-field triple from senior Caden Nolan in the next at-bat brought in the freshman leadoff hitter.
Battling at the dish, Hodges won his at-bat and recorded the final run of the half-inning on an RBI groundout to short, which scored Nolan to make it 12-9.
Locklear settled in with a four-batter top of the seventh. He used two flyouts and a popout to give the Raiders’ offense a chance.
Three of Richmond’s first four batters in the seventh reached safely to load the bases with one out. Freshman Noah Stubbs (walk) raced home to score on a wild pitch to make it a two-run game.
Following an intentional walk to reload the bases and a strikeout, the Raiders used two hits and a bit-by-pitch to complete the sweep.
Gause capped his career night with an infield single to the left side that scored Veach (single). Tying the game three pitches later was McCaskill, who recorded an RBI when he was pelted with a pitch. Crossing the plate safely to tie the game was Locklear (HBP).
Digging in with the winning run 90 feet away, Haynes wasted no time and drilled the first offering through the wickets to score Nolan (intentional walk) and start the celebration.
Nolan, Haynes and Bowden each finished the game with a triple apiece, and Richmond’s other extra-base hit was Veach’s double. Behind Gause’s four-hit effort were two hits each from Bowden, Haynes and Veach.
Haynes’ three RBI led the way, as six of his teammates each drove in a run – Bowden, Locklear, Nolan, Hodges, Gause and McCaskill.
Improving to 11-3 overall, and 9-1 against MSC opponents, the Raiders will compete in the Beach Diamond Invitational hosted by West Brunswick High School over spring break.
Richmond will open the three-day invitational Monday, April 6, against Southern Nash High School (9-3). First pitch is at 1:30 p.m.
Click here to read about the JV baseball team’s mercy-rule win Thursday.
Sports editor’s note: Game information and statistics provided by Richmond’s GameChanger.
