GOOD HOPE – Good Hope looked to make it 4-1 in its last five games when the Raiders hosted Danville at home on Monday. But some sloppy defense and some big innings by Danville proved costly for the Raiders, who fell, 12-5.
Good Hope starter Caleb Rusk started the game on the wrong foot, hitting Walker McAbee on the first pitch; he later stole second and Garrett Robinson drew a walk. A double steal put McAbee and Robinson on third and second, respectively. Jackson Wigginton hit an infield RBI single and the Hawks hit the run column first. Hunter Hensley added an RBI double and Turner Hogan hit a sacrifice fly to give Danville an early 3-0 lead.
The Raiders looked to answer in their first at-bats. Back-to-back one-out walks by Preston Bagwell and Tyler Legg put them in business early. Matt Hancock then lined a single to right field, but Bagwell got thrown out at home plate. Josiah Cofer got hit by the pitch to load the bases for Harper Chiaranda, who drew a bases-loaded walk to make it a 3-1 game.
Rusk retired the Hawks on just eight pitches in the second inning; he worked around a walk and a hit by pitch in the third to get out unscathed. Bagwell drew a lead-off walk for Good Hope in the bottom of the third, then Legg got the Raiders' first hit of the game as he lined an RBI triple to deep right field and Hancock added a bloop RBI single to left field to tie the game at three.
Cody Cribbs reached on an error by third baseman Chiaranda to lead off the Danville fourth. Adston Compton then got hit by the pitch and Kurt Parker reached on a bunt single to load the bases, but Rusk struck out Caleb Sparks and McAbee as he was one out away from getting out of another jam. Robinson kept the inning alive, though, drawing a bases-loaded walk and Compton later scored on a passed ball. After he walked Wigginton to re-load the bases, Rusk was relieved by Chiaranda, who got Hensley to pop out to Legg at short to get out of the inning.
Austin Eakes started a two-out rally for Good Hope as he drew a walk, then Bagwell reached on a throwing error by McAbee at third, which allowed Eakes to move over to second. Legg lined an RBI single to center field to make it a 5-4 game.
Back-to-back singles by Hogan and Cribbs put Chiaranda in trouble early and Compton sacrificed them over to third and second, respectively. Hogan later scored on a passed ball by Hancock and Cribbs scored as Hancock's throw to second deflected off the glove of Chiaranda and Sparks added an RBI double to left-center to increase the Raider deficit to four at 8-4.
Another Raider error, this time a throwing error by David Cook at third base, added to the Danville lead in the seventh. Wigginton added a two-run single and Hensley hit an RBI single to make it a 12-4 game. Chiaranda added another Raider run, scoring on a wild pitch to make it a 12-5 game, then Cook struck out to end the game.
Legg had three hits and two RBIs for the Raiders. Hancock added two hits and an RBI. Bagwell and Bailey Quick each collected a hit. Legg scored two runs. Chiaranda and Eakes each scored a run. Good Hope drew 11 walks in the game and had more walks than hits (7). The Raiders will stay at home against Cordova on Tuesday in their first area game of the season.
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