Looking around at the Richmond Senior softball field on Thursday afternoon, it was apparent the Lady Raiders were there with a purpose.

Players took batting practice, working on their swings to perfect their timing and contact. Practicing fielders took ground balls, readying for the challenge of facing the Ashley Screaming Eagles on Friday night in a NCHSAA Class 4A second-round contest.

First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Tonight’s matchup will be an interesting one, as the Screaming Eagles come to Rockingham off a 1-0 playoff win over Garner Tuesday night.

The challenge for Richmond (14-10) will be for the offense to produce runs as it did against Pine Forest, and for the defense to play error-free softball.

Interim coach Shelley Wimpey had the girls working hard on the field to ensure that they didn’t forget how hard it is to win a game after an easy run-rule blowout of Pine Forest Tuesday night.

“We just tell the girls that the past is the past and we have to focus on the next game,” Wimpey said.

The Lady Raider seniors are keenly aware that from here on out, every game is a one-game season:

If Richmond loses, the season — and many of their softball careers — are over.

Only two of the Lady Raider seniors are going on to play college ball, and the rest are hanging their cleats on this state tournament for the wrapup of the their softball careers.

Ashley (12-8) will have a long bus ride to Richmond: The Wilmington area is just over two hours away. Ashley coach Chip Adams said he isn’t worried about the bus ride to Richmond, or game-planning for the Lady Raiders.

“Preparing for the bus ride is not as important as preparing for the contest itself. We take the approach of trying to control the things we can control. We typically do not prepare for any specific strategies or tendencies of the opposing team. We try to prepare for as many situations as possible and be flexible during the game to deal with what ever comes along,” Adams said.

The real challenge will be how the Screaming Eagles deal with the pressure of playing on the Lady Raiders’ home field. On the other side of that coin, the Lady Raiders will need to protect their home field and continue what they started on Tuesday night.

Wimpey and the other coaches have stressed repeatedly in practice this week that the Lady Raiders will need to stay focused, and keep doing the things that have enabled them to get this far.

Contact sports reporter Travis Anderson at 997-3111 ext. 44 or via e-mail at tanderson@yourdailyjournal.com