SANFORD — Following a loss over the weekend, head coach Eric Brown noted Tuesday’s game would be a measuring stick for how the Richmond Raider baseball team responds to adversity this season.
Dialed in on the road to begin Sandhills Athletic Conference action, the Raiders answered the call and defeated Southern Lee High School 7-2.
A lights-out performance from senior pitcher Jason Walker was aided by five players recording a run batted in, including a team-high three RBI by junior Caden Nolan.
On the mound, Walker shoved for six innings and allowed just one earned run on three hits. He struck out 12 Cavaliers, a single-game career-high for the right-hander.
In the first and sixth innings, Walker sat Southern Lee’s batters down in order. Four of those six outs came via the punchout. In the second and third frames, Walker faced just four batters.
From the top of the first inning, the Raiders played with a lead, scoring two runs off starting pitcher Christian Cox (3.0 innings, 4 runs, 4 hits).
A pair of errors put Richmond’s first two batters, senior Landon Taylor and junior Evan Hodges, on base safely. Sophomore Collin Hill played small ball and effectively moved the runners into scoring position in the next at-bat with a sacrifice bunt.
Nolan recorded his first two RBI on the next offering from Cox, slicing a single into left field to plate Taylor and senior courtesy runner Jeremiah Ritter to make it 2-0.
Hodges led off the top of the fourth inning with an infield single to the left side. Following the first two outs of the inning, senior Riley Brown became the next Raider to record an RBI with a base hit to score Ritter (running for Hodges).
Leading 3-0 after three innings, the Raiders dotted the scoreboard with a run in the fourth, two runs in the fifth and their final run in the top of the sixth.
Taylor was responsible for the run in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout to short. Scoring from third was senior Jabari Douglas, who led off the inning with a walk.
After two errors in the bottom of the fourth, Walker kept the Cavaliers off the scoreboard with a 1-2 fielder’s choice on a grounder back to the mound. Hodges applied the tag to Luke Waters and Walker struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Hill poked a single the other way into left field to lead off the top of the fifth inning, one of seven hits for the Raiders. In the next at-bat, Nolan capped his big performance with a double to the alley in left-center, allowing Hill to get on his horse and score from first.
Freshman Devin Haynes recorded an RBI later in the inning on an RBI groundout to second base, which scored Nolan to make it 6-0.
Walker escaped a potential big inning for the Cavaliers in the home half of the fifth. After collecting two outs on the first two batters, two singles and a walk loaded the bases.
Walker hit the next batter to plate Southern Lee’s first run, but followed with a 5-2 putout by Douglas to Hodges to end the threat.
Hodges, who matched Nolan’s two-hit effort to lead the team in the win, drove in Richmond’s final run in the sixth. He connected on a line drive single to right field, which scored junior Jake Veach (walk) from second.
Pitching the seventh inning for the Raiders was Ritter, who faced six batters. He allowed one unearned run on a hit and struck out one batter to preserve the win.
Southern Lee scored its final run on a one-out RBI single. Recording Richmond’s seventh hit in the game awas sophomore Drew Gause.
The Raiders (2-2, 1-0 SAC) will host the Cavaliers (2-1, 0-1 SAC) Friday at 6 p.m. to close out the regular-season series.
Sports editor’s note: Statistics and game information provided by Richmond’s Game Changer.
