Fielding Woes Proving Costly For Wildcats
Struggling with errors, the Rockbridge County High School softball team suffered a pair of lopsided losses last week, losing at home against Valley District rival Spotswood 13-0 on Tuesday before falling at Fort Defiance 9-1 on Thursday.
Against Spotswood (2-4 overall, 1-1 district), the Wildcats (2-2, 1-2) committed four errors and allowed 15 hits, while the Trailblazers had no errors. RC didn’t produce much offense, recording four hits.
The Blazers took a 4-0 lead in the second inning, scoring their first run when Riley Joyner singled to bring home Addyson Moats. With the bases loaded, Maycee Dean walked to bring in another run, and Alexa Lind and Adelaide Scott hit singles on grounders to drive in two more runs.
Spotswood added two more runs in the third to extend its lead to 6-0, with Addison Dickerson scoring on an error and Joyner stealing home.
In the fourth, the Blazers stretched their lead to 10-0 by scoring four more runs, one on an error, another on a single by Dickerson, and two more on doubles by Joyner and Chillie Crummett.
Spotswood scored its final three runs in the fifth. Lind tripled on a line drive to right field to bring home Riley Weldon, Joyner singled to center field to drive in Lind, and Joyner later stole home. In the bottom of the fifth, only Gracie Pelter got on base for the Wildcats, on a walk with one out, before the Blazers made the final two outs to end the game early due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Dickerson led Spotswood with three hits, while four different Blazers each had two hits.
Recording one hit each for the Wildcats were Page Wright, Sadie Moore, Parker Dameron and Willow Rogers. On the mound, Crummett pitched all five innings for the Blazers, striking out five and allowing four hits and one walk in the shutout.
For RC, Moore pitched a complete game, striking out five while surrendering 15 hits, one walk and 13 runs (six earned).
FD 9, RC 1
The Wildcats had another tough time fielding the ball on Thursday, committing seven errors in a 9-1 nondistrict road loss to Fort Defiance.
The Indians (3-3), who committed one error in the game, took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, scoring their first two runs on an RC error and the third on a double to right field by Alexis Miller.
RC scored its lone run in the top of the third when Gabby Brown singled to center field to bring home Cameron Terry. Fort responded by scoring three runs on an RC error in the bottom of the third to stretch its lead to 6-1. In the fourth, the Indians added two more runs on an RC error before scoring their final run when Riley Davis singled to center field to drive in Miller.
Miller led Fort with three hits, while Avery Shuler and Brailyn Breeden each recorded two hits.
Moore paced the Wildcats with two hits, while Brown and Terry each had one hit.
On the mound for Fort, Sara Turner pitched the first four innings, striking out three while allowing three hits, two walks and one earned run. In the final three innings, Breeden struck out four and surrendered one hit, no walks and no runs.
For RC, Moore pitched a complete game, striking out five while allowing 11 hits, four walks and nine unearned runs.
The Wildcats were scheduled to play at East Rockingham on Monday before playing host to Harrisonburg yesterday. They’ll continue district action at Turner Ashby on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before playing host to district rival Rocktown next Friday, April 25, at 5 p.m.
RC SENIOR Cameron Terry crouches to pick up the ball in right field during the Wildcats’ home loss to Spotswood. AT LEFT, Wildcat junior Bella Dorey takes a swing. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photos)
WILDCAT JUNIOR third baseman Landrey Campbell keeps her foot on the bag while making a catch to get a Spotswood player out. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
