vs
| 03/18/25 - Home | 1-0 W |
| 04/29/24 - Home | 12-2 W |
| 03/22/24 - Home | 15-5 W |
| 03/19/24 - Away | 11-1 W |
| 05/03/23 - Home | 6-5 W |
| + 5 more games |
Richmond is 9-1 against Hoke County since May of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Richmond Raiders will challenge the Hoke County Bucks at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Richmond is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They walked away with a 9-4 victory over Montgomery Central on Wednesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Raiders.
Devin Haynes was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-4. That run was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Landon Taylor and Drew Gause did most of the damage at the plate: Taylor scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-3, while Gause scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances. Gause also brought in an RBI, marking his first of the season.
Richmond kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since the start of last season.
Meanwhile, Hoke County came into Wednesday's match having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They came out on top against Red Springs by a score of 9-4 on Wednesday.
Hoke County let Eric (EJ) Carter and Gabe Allen run wild. Carter scored a run while going 2-for-4, while Allen went 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double. The dominant performance also gave Carter a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Jacob Borman, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Hoke County picked up their first road win, bumping their record up to 2-8. As for Richmond, the victory got them back to even at 5-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Richmond has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hoke County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Richmond came out on top in a nail-biter against Hoke County in their previous matchup on Tuesday, sneaking past 1-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Richmond since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
