Baseball Game Preview: Richmond Raiders vs. Pinecrest Patriots

The Richmond Raiders are taking a road trip to take on the Pinecrest Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

On Saturday, Richmond needed a bit of extra time to put away Myers Park. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Mustangs, sneaking past 6-5.

The team relied heavily on Landon Taylor, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. He also hit two doubles, marking his first of the season. Drew Gause was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.

Meanwhile, Pinecrest gave up the first runs on Saturday, but they didn't let that get them down. They had just enough and edged out Laney 5-4. That's two games straight that the Patriots have won by just one run.

David Wiley was excellent, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Eythan Reynolds, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.

The win made it two in a row for Pinecrest and bumps their season record up to 3-2. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of one runs across that stretch. As for Richmond, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Richmond has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pinecrest struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Richmond beat Pinecrest 5-1 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Will Richmond repeat their success, or does Pinecrest have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.