LAURINBURG — The Richmond baseball team dropped its third straight game and fell out of position to at least earn a share of the Sandhills Athletic Conference’s regular season title with a 7-2 loss at Scotland on Thursday.
The Raiders (15-6, 11-3 SAC) were looking to redeem themselves after losing to their rival on Senior Night earlier this week, but a couple of unforced errors on their part mixed with a number of big hits by the Fighting Scots (10-7, 9-5 SAC) in the bottom of the second inning changed the complexion of the contest.
Things were even between the two teams after one inning of play, as Garet Weigman got Richmond on the board with a sacrifice fly in the top half and then Stewart Evans got Scotland its first run with an RBI groundout in the bottom.
A lead-off single by Parker Byrd in the second is what sparked the Scots’ five-hit, four-run effort in the second.
Byrd broke the 1-1 tie when he crossed home plate on Tyler Barfield’s RBI groundout. The home team went ahead two runs after a Richmond error and then took a 5-1 lead after back-to-back RBI from Tyler Faulk (triple) and Evans (single).
Tyler Bass came in to relieve Cam Carraway on the mound, and was able to get the Scotland offense off the field without giving up another run, but the momentum had already shifted in favor of the home team.
It wasn’t until the fifth that Richmond scored its second run on Carraway’s one-run single. Scotland plated its final two runs in the sixth inning, as Evans roped an RBI double and then Nic Callahan followed with one of his own in the next at-bat.
The Scots ended the rivalry matchup by turning a double play and then catching Jake Ransom’s fly ball.
Richmond will look to snap its three-game losing streak at the Beach Diamond Invitational at West Brunswick next week.
Parrish earns 1st win as softball beats Scotland 4-1
LAURINBURG — The Richmond softball team closed regular-season conference play with a 4-1 win at Scotland on Thursday.
Taylor Parrish stood in the circle — filling in for ace Greyson Way — and collected her first career win after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning. She would strike out eight batters, walk four and allow three hits on the night.
Parrish, who usually makes plays for the Lady Raiders at first base, also had two hits as a batter in the win.
Senior shortstop Savannah Lampley landed a pair of hits as well, one of them being an RBI single at top of the third. Junior catcher Kayla Hawkins would score a runner with a base hit moments later to help Richmond go ahead two runs.
The Lady Raiders (17-2, 13-1 Sandhills Athletic Conference) trailed 1-0 entering the third frame after Scotland (10-8, 6-8 SAC) scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second inning. Freshman outfielder Maylyn Wallace continued her big week — she racked up three hits at Anson on Wednesday — by scoring a run to tie the rivalry 1-1 at the top of the third.
Payton Chappell, sophomore third base, ripped an RBI single in the fourth to put the final touches on the Lady Raiders’ sixth consecutive winning effort, which ruined Senior Night for the home Scots.
Richmond will compete at the Beach Diamond Invitational at West Brunswick next week to wrap the regular season.
Hooks, Graham Huff lead girls soccer to 4-1 victory
LAURINBURG — Morgan Hooks found the back of the net twice, Jessi Graham and Kaitlyn Huff each netted a goal a piece and the Richmond girls soccer team grabbed a 4-1 win at Scotland on Thursday.
Hooks, senior midfielder, opened the rivalry matchup with a goal in the 11th minute and then scored again with 5:23 left in the first half to help Richmond a 3-0 lead heading into the break. Huff, freshman midfielder, was responsible for the goal that put them ahead by two scores, as she ripped one past the opposing goalie in the 17th minute.
The Lady Raiders (13-3, 11-2 Sandhills Athletic Conference) gave up a goal three minutes into the second half, but answered a few minutes later when senior forward Jessi Graham netted one on an assist from senior midfielder Chloe Wiggins.
Richmond starts Spring Break on Friday and will have more than week off before it closes the regular season with a makeup game at Jack Britt on Monday, Apr. 29. It wrapped up second place in the conference with Thursday’s win.
The Richmond baseball team dropped a 7-2 decision at rival Scotland on Thursday.