ROCKINGHAM — Using a seven-run sixth inning Tuesday, the Richmond Senior High School baseball team recorded its second straight mercy-rule win.
Extending their season-long winning streak to four games, the Raiders opened their two-game Sandhills Athletic Conference series with Union Pines High School with an 11-1 win.
Spreading its scoring across the first, second and sixth innings, Richmond belted 13 hits in the victory.
Back on the bump was senior Jason Walker, who threw his second consecutive complete game. Tossing six innings, Walker struck out six batters and gave up an earned run on four hits.
Throwing just 65 pitches, Walker retired the first nine batters he faced in order and sat down 15 of the first 17 batters through the first five innings.
Three straight singles by seniors Jabari Douglas and Landon Taylor, along with junior Evan Hodges, started a three-run bottom of the first. A double steal initiated by Taylor taking off for second allowed Douglas to score the first run.
Hodges tattooed a line drive single into center field off starting pitcher Joey Ring (6.1 innings, 8 runs, 12 hits). With runners on the corners, junior Caden Nolan recorded a run batted in with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Extending the inning with a one-out double was sophomore Collin Hill, which led to sophomore Drew Gause driving in courtesy runner Conner Phifer (running for Hodges) to make it 3-0. Gause found a hole in the left side of the infield for an RBI single.
Two strikeouts and a flyout by Walker in the top half of the second made quick work of the Vikings (3-7, 1-4 SAC). Richmond took a 4-0 lead in the home half when Taylor scored senior Jeremiah Ritter (single) on an RBI groundout to first.
Both teams traded zeroes through the third, fourth and fifth frames. Richmond stranded a runner on base in the third and fifth innings.
The Vikings used a one-out RBI double in the top of the sixth to record their lone run of the game. Walker dialed in and got the next two batters out to leave the runner at third base.
Sending nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, Richmond connected for five hits and benefited from three base on balls to score its final seven runs to end the game early.
Ritter, one of five Raiders with two hits, connected on a two-RBI base hit back up the middle. The hard ground ball took a friendly hop off the mound and gave Gause (single) and freshman Devin Haynes (double) time to score.
Leading 6-1 and with one away, Douglas roped his second hit of the game and plated Ritter with a liner into center. A wild pitch and a passed ball accounted for Richmond’s next two runs to pad the lead to 9-1.
Hill, who batted .500 in three games last week, kept his bat hot with an RBI single the opposite way on a liner to left field. That hit scored Hodges, who drew a free pass earlier in the inning.
The game came to an end when relief pitcher Dominic Inocencio fired a wild pitch to the backstop. Racing in from third base was Nolan (walk).
Ritter’s two RBI led the team, as Douglas, Taylor, Nolan, Hill and Gause all had one RBI. Belting two hits apiece were Douglas, Taylor, Hill, Gause and Ritter. Hodges, Nolan and Haynes all had one hit.
Leading the Vikings with a team-high two hits was Jacob Williams, which led to Dylan Benedict’s RBI double for the team’s run.
The Raiders (7-5, 4-3 SAC) host non-conference Charlotte Catholic High School (11-2) Wednesday. First pitch is at 7 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: Statistics and game information provided by Richmond’s Game Changer.
