RICHMOND

It took the Richmond High School baseball team until mid-May last season to pick up its second win.

This season, it surely didn’t take as long as the Bobcats swept a Saturday East-West Conference doubleheader from Vinalhaven, winning the opener 8-0 before rolling to a five-inning Mercy Rule 12-2 win in game two.

“Doubleheaders are such a big thing of what we do in Class D, so when you get two wins like this, you can put a team in your rearview mirror, where last year we struggled in doubleheaders,” said Richmond (2-0) coach Ryan Gardner. “This is a good start for us, and is something to build on. This makes the dugout more lively and gives us some good momentum heading forward.”

Newcomers to the Richmond baseball team, Wiscasset transfers Eddie and Mike Stewart, pitched. Eddie Stewart, a senior, was dominant in the opener, tossing a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and one walk.

“I felt good today and had a lot of things working today,” said Eddie Stewart, who also starred at the plate with a 2- for-3 performance and three RBIs. “I felt better from the third inning and beyond.

Leading just 1-0 on a Mike Stewart infield RBI single that scored Tyler Soucy, Vinalhaven (0-2) had Noah Slivinsky on third base with one out. But, the righty picked up a key strikeout and finished the inning off by inducing a slow roller.

“I was able to keep my composure and help get the team a first win,” said Eddie Stewart.

The Richmond bats came alive in the fifth. Collin Acord worked a seven-pitch walk and an error put two runners into scoring position. With one out, Eddie Stewart clanged a two-run double off the center-field fence and scored on an RBI single by Gage Myrick for a 5-0 lead. Three sixth-inning runs (RBIs by Eddie Stewart and Randy Moody) made for the 8- 0 final.

Vinalhaven pitcher Byron Thomas went the distance, striking out three, walking nine and allowing six hits.

Game 2

Richmond put the second game away early.

After Eddie Stewart scampered home on a first inning wild pitch for a 1-0 lead, the Bobcats exploded for six more runs in the second. In all, 10 Richmond hitters stepped to the plate in the frame, with Moody and Myrick bringing in two runs each with RBI singles.

On the hill, Mike Stewart, a freshman, struggled through a pair of tough innings. He threw 25 pitches in the second, but escaped unscathed by striking out the side. The righty wasn’t as fortunate in the third as Vinalhaven scored its only two runs of the day on a two-run single to right field by Thomas.

“Both kids gave us quality starts today,” said Gardner. “Eddie established his fastball right away and stuck with it, and Mike may have struggled for a stretch, but he found it and pitched well, especially for a 14-year-old.”

Richmond tacked on a run in the fourth (Moody scored on a balk), and Jason Patterson’s RBI single completed a four-run fifth and the 12-2 Richmond win.

Mike Stewart threw 85 pitches, struck out nine, walked two and permitted three hits.

Eddie Stewart was 4-for-6 in the doubleheader with five RBIs and three runs scored, while Moody was 2-for-2 in the nightcap and reached base in all four of his plate appearances (single, double, two walks).

Richmond 8,
Vinalhaven 0

Game 1, At Richmond
Vinalhaven — 000 000 0 — 0-2-2
Richmond — 100 043 x — 8-6-2
Byron Thomas and Noah Slivinsky;
Eddie Stewart and Randy Moody.
Repeat hitter — (R) Eddie Stewart.
Doubles — (V) Cody Hamilton; (R)
Eddie Stewart.

Richmond 12,
Vinalhaven 2

Game 2, At Richmond
Vinalhaven—00200— 2-3-3
Richmond — 1 60 14 — 12-7-2
Zeb Campbell, Lewis Cray (3) and Noah
Slivinsky; Mike Stewart and Tyler
Soucy.
Repeat hitters — (R) Eddie Stewart,
Randy Moody.
Double — (R) Randy Moody.
Records — Richmond 2-0, Vinalhaven
0-2.
Next for the Bobcats — May 2 at Valley.