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The Rockbridge County High School softball team suffered a pair of nondistrict home losses last week, falling to Fort Defiance 7-1 last Tuesday before coming up short against Alleghany 7-4 last Wednesday.
With last Tuesday’s win, Fort completed a sweep of the regular-season series with the Wildcats (1-3). Five days earlier, Fort had beaten the visiting Wildcats 10-2. Fort ended last week at 3-1.
In the rematch, Fort racked up 11 hits, while RC had just two hits. “It was a tough night at the plate,” said RC head coach Keston Pelter. “We hit the ball, but we couldn’t find the holes to put the ball in play like Fort.”
The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and led 3-0 in the third before RC scored its lone run in the bottom of the third. Fort then added a run in the fifth and three in the seventh.
Baylee Blalock led the Indians with four hits and four RBIs, while Calleigh Wilkerson had two hits and an RBI.
Recording one hit each for the Wildcats were Kelsie Caldwell and Marla Zollman.
On the mound for RC, freshman Sadie Moore pitched the first six innings, striking out nine and allowing 10 hits, one walk and six runs (three earned).
Abigail Campbell pitched a complete game for Fort, striking out 10 and permitting two hits, one walk and one earned run.
The Wildcats committed one error, while Fort had none.
AHS 7, RC 4
Despite a late offensive surge, the Wildcats fell to Alleghany 7-4 last Wednesday in Lexington.
Alleghany (2-1) took a 3-0 lead in the second and went up 4-0 in the third before adding two more runs to extend its lead to 6-0 in the fifth. The Wildcats scored three runs in the sixth, with Page Wright’s triple bringing in two runs, to cut the lead to 6-3. The Mountaineers scored their final run in the seventh, and RC scored one more run before the game ended.
Addressing the Wildcats’ slow offensive start, Pelter said, “I’m still encouraging and challenging the team to come alive and be aggressive at the plate from the beginning of the game and being disciplined by swinging at strikes and not just any pitch.”
Each team had eight hits. Kaydence Wilson led the Wildcats, going 4-of-4, and Caldwell registered two hits and an RBI. Wright and Parker Dameron each had one hit.
On the mound for RC, Moore pitched a complete game, striking out three and allowing eight hits, no walks, and seven runs (one earned).
The Wildcats struggled with six errors, while Alleghany had one.
RC was scheduled to play host to James River on Friday, but that game was postponed due to rain. The Wildcats were slated to play at Stuarts Draft on Monday and will face Stuarts Draft again at home on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. before playing at James River on Friday at 5 p.m. After spring break next week, the Wildcats will visit Staunton on Monday, April 10 before beginning Valley District action at Harrisonburg on Tuesday, April 11. Both games are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
