Both the Parry McCluer High School baseball and softball teams lost their home openers to Altavista, with the baseball team suffering a 3-0 setback and the softball team falling 22-12 on Wednesday evening in Buena Vista.
On the baseball field, the Fighting Blues (0-2) struggled with four hitters and had no hits, while nondistrict rival Altavista (2-1) had four hits. The Colonels took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, added another run in the fifth, and tacked on their final run in the seventh.
Curtis King pitched the first three innings for PM, striking out four while allowing one hit, two walks and one earned run. Peyton Ramsey pitched four innings of relief for the Blues, striking out three while surrendering three hits, three walks and two runs (one earned).
In a back-and-forth battle on the softball field, Altavista (1-1) overcame a 12-8 deficit in the sixth by capitalizing on PM errors and exploding for 14 runs in the top of the seventh.
The Blues (0-2) had broken an 8-8 tie in the bottom of the sixth when Sophie Chittum doubled on a line drive to left field to bring home Sophia Bouchelle, and the Blues added two more runs when Logan Vest tripled on a grounder to drive in Chittum and Alysa Wheeler. PM then scored its final run when Patience Hill grounded out, bringing Natalie Mohler.
The Colonels racked up 20 hits against the Blues, who had 12 hits.
Olivia Julian pitched a complete game for PM, striking out two while allowing one walk.
Both PM teams will continue nondistrict action at home against James River on Friday at 5 p.m., both attempting to avenge road losses to the Knights in their season openers on Monday.
For the full stories and photos from this week’s action, please see our March 26 newspaper.
