ROCKINGHAM — A season-long winning streak came to an end for the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity baseball team Saturday.
Capping a three-game week at home on Alumni Day, the JV Raiders suffered a 7-3 loss to Ashley High School in six innings (time limit).
One bad inning is all it took, as Richmond allowed the JV Screaming Eagles to score all of their runs in the third inning.
Richmond plated a run in the bottom of the third and added its final two runs in the home half of the fifth.
Starting on the mound for Richmond was freshman Cooper Gainey, who allowed five runs (four earned) on two hits in 2.1 innings. He added two strikeouts.
Taking over in the third frame and pitching the remaining 3.1 innings was freshman Jackson Parsons. His line was two earned runs on three hits with five Ks.
An error scored Ashley’s first two runs, which were followed by a bases-clearing three-RBI double. A wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk scored the other two runs.
Leading off the third was sophomore Kerick Hairston Jr. with a single, one of Richmond’s eight hits in the game. He scored two batters later when freshman Colton Nelson singled and a subsequent error allowed both runners to move up 90 feet.
Hairston Jr. and freshman Samuel O’Neal started the fifth with back-to-back singles. Nelson and freshman Nate Culbreth scored Hairston Jr. and O’Neal, respectively, with an RBI base hit for the JV Raiders’ final two runs.
Richmond stranded both Nelson and Culbreth on base in the fifth and went down in order in the sixth.
Hairston Jr. and Nelson each had two singles. Adding a single apiece in the loss were O’Neal, Culbreth and freshmen Brody Bryant and Jaxton Watson.
The JV Raiders (9-4, 9-2 MSC) return to Mid-South Conference action Tuesday at home against Overhills High School. Action will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: Game information and statistics provided by Richmond’s GameChanger.
