It may have been the summer heat that raised the intensity of the Richmond-Scotland summer league baseball game Thursday night.

A contest highlighted by Raiders’ coach Kevin Wallace being ejected and Richmond blowing a 6-1 lead before Ricky Holden’s walkoff two-run single in the seventh gave the Raiders a dramatic 8-7 victory over the rival Scots at Raider Field.

With the scored tied at 6 in the top of the seventh, Holden gave up a two-out double to Greg Jorgenson that scored the go-ahead run to give Scotland a 7-6 lead.

But Holden redeemed himself in the bottom of the frame after Cody Brown and Hunter Floyd were issued back-to-back walks with two outs off Scotland’s Josh Collins.

Holden drove in both pinch runner Jeremy Outen and Floyd with a hit up the middle to increase the Raiders’ winning streak to four.

“After giving up that run to give them the lead, I was hoping that I would get a crack at the plate to help my team,” Holden said. “Those are the situations as a player you live for. There were a couple go at bats in front of me, and I got a good pitch to hit and put the ball in play.”

The rivalry between the two schools erupted in the sixth after Scotland scored five runs to tie the game.

The Scots loaded the bases on Raiders’ pitcher Reese Anderson, who gave up a walk to Paul Yarbrough, a single to Chase Bullock and another walk to Josh Quick.

Matt Ratford drew another walk that scored Yarbrough to cut Richmond’s lead to 6-2. With the bases still loaded, Bullock scored on Cody Marcure’s fielder’s choice, narrowing the lead to 6-3. Scotland continued the comeback trail as Jorgenson’s double to left field scored Quick to trim Richmond’s advantage to 6-4 before tempers flared.

With runners on the corners, an error on Richmond’s second baseman Chandler Conner allowed a run to cross home plate, cutting Richmond’s lead to 6-5. With the play continuing, catcher Ty Bostick mishandled the ball coming home and was knocked down by Trey Phillips as Bostick blocked home plate.

Bostick stayed down on the ground in pain, before leaving the game with an undisclosed injury. Wallace came out to argue the play and was later ejected.

“Basically, the rule is when there is a play at the plate, the runner must attempt to slide or just give himself up,” Wallace said. “He can not just run over the catcher and lower his shoulder. I felt like he should have been ejected for that, and I just came out to take up for my player.”

The Richmond senior team plays at Union Pines at 7 p.m. Monday.

n The Richmond junior team improved to 3-1 on the season with a 7-2 victory over Fayetteville Christian Thursday afternoon.

Ryan Mercer gave up two hits in five innings of work, while notching three strikeouts and Austin Brower led the way at the plate by going 2-for-2.

The junior team plays at Union Pines at 4 p.m. Monday.

n Contact sports reporter Corey Davis at 997-3111, ext. 44; e-mail cdavis@yourdailyjournal.com