Softball Game Preview: Richmond Raiders vs. Hoke County Bucks

The Richmond Raiders will head out on the road to face off against the Hoke County Bucks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Things were looking good for Richmond after they put the first points on the board on Wednesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Jack Britt by a score of 8-7.

Madee Pearson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and five unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.

Trinity Lockhart

Stolen Base

04/02/25 vs Jack Britt	3
04/01/25 vs Pinecrest	1
03/28/25 vs Southern Lee	5

On the hitting side, Trinity Lockhart and Mikayla English stepped up to the plate in a big way. Lockhart scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-4, while English went 2-for-4 with one home run. Lockhart has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. Jakayla Steele was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.

Meanwhile, Hoke County hadn't done well against Lumberton recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Bucks had just enough and edged out the Pirates 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bucks have posted since February 26th.

Hoke County also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Niya Jones gave up four earned runs on eight hits and racked up ten Ks.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Chica Amador, who scored a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was McKenzie Freeman, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

The win made it two in a row for Hoke County and bumps their season record up to 12-4. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 7 runs in those games. As for Richmond, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-9.

Richmond might still be hurting after the 10-2 loss they got from Hoke County in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.