The Trojans’ Jake Richardson delivers a pitch during Essex’s 17-2 victory over West Point on March 26.
Freshman hurler Jake Richardson overcame first inning jitters and Aden McGirt delivered a bases-loaded double in a five-run second inning as Essex pounded West Point 17-2 in a non-district baseball game played March 26 at Ashton Field in Tappahannock.
The win was the second in as many games for the Trojans.
“We had some kids get their first hits and we ran the bases well,” Essex coach Reed Harmon said.
In his first varsity start, Richardson gave up three first inning doubles as West Point grabbed an early 2-0 lead.
After a 27-pitch first inning, Richardson settled down, striking out the side in order in the second inning, retiring the side in order in the third inning, and facing four batters in the fourth.
Kyran Howard struck out the side in the fifth to wrap up the victory.
“I thought he did a good job of regrouping in the second through fourth innings,” Harmon said of Richardson. “And that’s the best (pitching) effort we’ve got out of (Howard), so that’s a good sign.”
Essex’s Kameron Gaines looks for instructions from coach Charles Whitlock as he motors into third base.
“I wasn’t locating my pitches and we saw what happened,” Richardson said. “I finally got into a zone and got some ground ball outs. I did a better job of getting the ball into the strike zone after that first inning.”
Richardson, who recorded nine strikeouts, threw 42 strikes among his 65 pitches.
Howard got through his one inning with 15 pitches.
After falling behind 2-0, Essex knotted the score thanks to a pair of West Point errors.
Then in the second inning, a two-out West Point error opened the flood gatest to a fiverun Essex second inning.
McGirt’s three-run double highlighted the frame which included a Hunter Byrd double and a Jacob Durham single.
“It felt really good to hit that double and I’m looking forward to more to come,” said McGirt. “I just work on keeping my eye on the ball and following through with my swing in practice and that carried over into today.”
McGirt and Noah Thompson led the team in RBIs with three apiece, while Byrd and Durham knocked in a pair of runs.
Essex, which took advantage of seven West Point errors, got two hits apiece from Howard, Byrd, and Keion Hence. Howard scored four runs, while Hence crossed home plate three times.
The Trojans registered eight stolen bases with Howard and Hence swiping two apiece.
“I’m happy with our makeup and I’m high on our pitching staff,” Harmon said. “I think we might be able to go five or six deep. And I like our defense as well.” Wells-Fargo Advisors Tournament
The following day, the Trojans traveled to Kilmarnock and registered a 9-2 non-district win over Middlesex at Dream Fields.
Thompson struck out 11 and allowed no earned runs in a route-going performance on the mound.
Down 1-0, Essex broke the game open with a five-run second inning. All five runs crossed home plate with two outs.
Jay Jeter had a run-scoring single and Kameron Gaines stroked a two-run double to highlight the frame.
Howard went 3-for-3 and knocked in a pair of runs, while Byrd went 3-for-4 and scored two runs. Jeter went 2-for-4 and scored twice.
Jeter, Byrd and Hence stole two bases apiece as the Trojans finished with 11 stolen bases.
Thompson’s 107 pitch outing included 74 strikes. He tossed 17 first pitch strikes to the 27 batters he faced.
On Saturday, the Trojans returned the Dream Fields and suffered their first loss of the season, a 5-1 setback to the Rappahannock County Panthers.
Jake Richardson got the start and allowed just two hits and walked two over five innings, but was done in by three errors that allowed Rappahannock County to score three runs.
Kyran Howard pitched the final two innings, allowing four hits and walking three while surrendering two runs.
Essex scored its lone run in the opening frame.
Jay Jeter delivered a lead-off single, advanced to third on a Kameron Gaines single, and scored on Howard’s subsequent ground out.
Rappahannock County tied the game with an unearned run in the fourth and took the lead for good with a pair of fifth inning unearned runs.
The Trojans managed just four hits off Rappahannock County’s Jeremiah Phillips who struck out four and walked one.
Essex (3-1) plays two games next week, April 10 at Mathews and April 11 at home against Class 2 King William.
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