Richland sweep drops Raiders to No. 3 seed
Moore County to open District 9 tournament against second-seeded Huntland on April 29
11:51 a.m. April 23, 2026
Jeff Reed Photography
Cole Taylor yielded five runs – four earned – on five hits and six walks across six innings while whiffing four on Monday.
DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor
The Moore County Raiders dropped two district games to Richland – 6-0 on Monday and 7-3 on Tuesday – and fell to third in the District 9A standings heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
The losses also set Moore County’s postseason opener. The Raiders will face No. 2 seed Huntland on Wednesday, April 29, after the 4 p.m. game between top-seeded Richland and No. 4 seed Cornersville.
Richland controlled both meetings with timely hitting and pressure on the bases.
Richland 6, Raiders 0
On Monday at MCHS, the Raiders managed just two hits in a 6-0 loss. Richland broke the game open in the fourth, and Moore County never found much of an answer.
That was all the support Richland needed. Gage Whitt handled the rest in a complete-game shutout, allowing two hits while striking out five and walking two.
Jace Deal and Cole Taylor had Moore County’s only hits.
Taylor took the loss for the Raiders, going six innings and allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits. He struck out four and walked six.
Kam Drake had two hits for Richland, while Will Shirey drew three walks.
Richland 7, Raiders 3
Tuesday’s rematch at Richland High School turned quickly.
Richland scored three in the second, then added three more in the third to take control. Gage Whitt drove in a run with a single down the left field line, Shirey added an RBI single, and Jack Jackson stole home in the second. In the third, Shirey came through again with a two-run single, and Brigham Worsham followed with an RBI double.
Moore County showed more life at the plate Tuesday, but the early hole was too deep.
Deal and Kohlby Williams each had two hits for the Raiders, and Deal drove in two runs while finishing 2-for-3.
Colton Morey took the loss after working three innings. He allowed six runs, three earned, on six hits and struck out four.
Richland starter Trey Fox earned the win, giving up two runs on two hits over four innings while striking out six and walking three.
Richland finished with nine hits and stayed aggressive on the bases, piling up five stolen bases. Shirey did the most damage, going 3-for-3 with four RBIs from the No. 7 spot in the lineup. Jackson stole two bases, and Whitt added two hits.
Moore County travels to Giles County for a 6 p.m. first pitch Thursday, returns home to face Hampshire at 6 p.m. Friday, and closes the regular season Monday at Culleoka at 6 p.m.
