Host Richmond Hill lost its doubleheader to Evans Friday night 2-1 and 2-0, eliminating the Wildcats from the AAAAA state baseball tournament in the best-of-three opening round.

“It’s tough when you can only manage five hits over two games,” Coach Stacy Bennett said. “But there are 32 good teams playing for the same goal. No one is going to roll over.”

Richmond Hill, four-time Region 3-AAAAA champs, finishes the season at 17-10.

“This group of seniors has come out on a daily basis and just worked hard,” Bennett said. “Their effort and attitude is unmatched. They did what we asked.”

Had the Wildcats won, they would have advanced to the second round beginning Wednesday.

“Winning is a lot of fun, but I hope these guys have learned over the past few years that this is about more than just winning and getting to play Wednesday,” Bennett said. “This is a gut check.”

Bennett said Evans, with five state titles to its credit, capitalized on Richmond Hill’s mistakes.

“They’re a great club,” Bennett said. “They had the momentum.”

Bennett also said the experience gained by the underclassmen this year will help next season.

“We’re going to lean on them,” he said. “They know what playoff atmosphere is like. Varsity is a lot different than JV. If they learn that when they’re younger, it makes it easier later.”