MILL CREEK — The word is out. If you want to beat Richmond, you’d better score more than five runs.
In each of its past three games, Richmond has allowed five runs early, only to post a big inning late and go on to win handily.
Down 5-3 against Bainbridge Island on Saturday, Richmond scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth, capped by a three-run homer by Cam Sterne, and won 13-5.
Richmond now faces Mill Creek in the championship today at Freedom Field to determine who will represent Washington in the Northwest Regional Tournament in San Bernardino, California.
Sterne also started on the mound for Richmond and cruised through the first half of the game, striking out seven in three innings. But after loading the bases with just one out in the fourth, he was replaced by reliever Jake Hawken, who immediately gave up a two-run double by Bainbridge second baseman Jack Post. Ben Kussie then singled in Post to give Bainbridge a 5-3 lead.
Bainbridge’s lead didn’t last long.
Everett Coba’s double to left field got things going for Richmond in the bottom of the fourth. Five batters later, Richmond had a 7-5 lead, largely due to three Bainbridge errors. Sterne then singled sharply to left, and Kory Longaker followed with his ninth home run of the tournament to make it 9-5. Richmond added one more in the inning and three in the fifth on Sterne’s opposite-field home run.
Richmond reliever Steffen Torgerson got the final four Bainbridge outs to preserve the victory.
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