RAEFORD — The Richmond senior summer baseball team rolled onto the campus of Hoke County High School on Monday night, looking to push its record for the summer to 4-0. However, the Raiders came out on the losing end of a 5-4 score to drop to 3-1.

Hoke County got out to the early lead with two runs in the first. They added a run in the third and two more in the fourth for a 5-0 advantage.

The Raiders never seemed to be able to put the pieces together in the game, threatening to score runs in the second, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.

Unfortunately, the Raiders were only able to push across runs in pairs in the fifth and sixth.

Luke Bullard picked up the loss on the mound for the Raiders, working four innings, allowing four runs, and striking out three.

A possible momentum-killer for Richmond came in the top of the third inning. Chandler Conner was rounding second and trying to make his turn home, when the third baseman for the Fighting Bucks apparently impeded his movement on the base paths, and Conner had to stop at third. The Raiders came up empty in that frame.

Richmond coach Ricky Young protested to the umpire, but the play stood.

Ryan Mercer came on in relief of Bullard and had a strong showing, allowing the ball to leave the infield just twice the rest of the way and getting a number of ground-ball outs.

The Raiders travel to Lumberton tonight to face the Pirates in the second half of a junior-senior doubleheader. First pitch for the junior game is at 4 p.m., with the varsity at 6:30 p.m.

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