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The Rockbridge County High School baseball team split a pair of nondistrict games with Stuarts Draft last week, earning a 13-5 road win last Monday before falling 14-8 at home on Thursday.
Before the Wildcats (2-4) won last Monday’s game, Draft was undefeated. With their victory on Thursday, the Cougars improved to 6-1. Last year, Draft was a Class 1 state semifinalist, falling 1-0 to Appomattox County, which went on to win the state title.
In last Monday’s game, the Wildcats jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning. Cohen Paxton singled on a grounder to left field to bring home Clay Irvine, and Paxton then scored on an error. With the bases loaded, freshman Price Lunsford, who moved up from the junior varsity team to replace injured pitcher Bennett Bishop, was hit by a pitch, bringing home Tucker Hopkins. Nolan Stines walked to drive in Armstrong, and Drew Potter scored when Irvine was hit by a pitch.
The Cougars scored on an error in the bottom of the first to cut RC’s lead to 5-1 and added another run on a grounder in the third.
In the fifth, Armstrong doubled on a fly ball to left field to bring home Hopkins, extending the Wildcats’ lead to 6-2. Draft answered back in the sixth when Dane Altis doubled on a fly ball to left field to drive in Jonathan Puckett, cutting RC’s lead to 6-3.
The Wildcats then had a huge seventh inning, racking up seven runs to go up 13-3. Potter doubled on a fly ball to left field to drive in Armstrong, and Lunsford hit a three-run home run to left field. Irvine then tripled on a fly ball to center field to drive in Stines, and Derek Smith doubled on a line drive to left field to bring home Irvine. RC added two more runs when Hopkins doubled on a fly ball to left field to drive in Smith and Paxton.
The Cougars scored two more runs in the seventh, but the Wildcats ended the game with their fielding.
RC racked up 13 hits against four Draft pitchers. Leading the Wildcats with three hits each were Irvine, Smith and Hopkins.
Praising Lunsford for adjusting to the varsity level quickly, RC head coach Travis Roadcap said, “He’s a freshman who delivers. He’s swinging it well and will be a designated hitter.”
Leading Draft with two hits each were Puckett and Andre Ellis.
On the mound for RC, senior Cohen Paxton pitched the first six innings, striking out seven and allowing five hits, one walk and three runs (one earned). Junior Sean Martino pitched the seventh inning, striking out one and surrendering three hits, no walks and two runs (one earned). At the plate, Paxton had a hit and an RBI.
Pleased with Paxton’s performance, Roadcap said, “Cohen really did well, and he continues to do well at the plate and in center field and wherever we need him.”
RC committed four errors, while Draft had three.
SD 14, RC 8
Stuarts Draft avenged Monday’s loss by defeating RC 14-8 on Thursday in Lexington.
The Cougars opened up a 4-0 lead in the first, scoring on a sacrifice fly and then on a three-run home run by Puckett. RC responded with a run in the bottom of the first when Paxton doubled on a fly ball to right field to bring home Irvine.
Draft added three runs on a triple on a fly ball to center field by Trenton Coffey, extending its lead to 7-1. RC cut the lead to 7-2 when Stines singled on a fly ball to left field to drive in Potter in the bottom of the second.
The Cougars went up 8-2 by scoring on an error in the third, but the Wildcats scored later in the inning when Irvine ran home on a sacrifice fly to right field by Smith.
Draft added four more runs in the fourth, on a two-run homer by Coffey and on a two-run single by Landon Lunsford, stretching their advantage to 12-3.
Potter scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the fourth, and the Wildcats added two more runs in the fifth, on a sacrifice fly by Hopkins and on a walk of Brady Majors with the bases loaded to cut Draft’s lead to 12-6.
The Cougars extended their lead to 13-6 by scoring on a sacrifice fly in the sixth and scored their final run in the seventh on a single to left field by Brayden Varner.
In the bottom of the seventh, Potter scored on a grounder by Irvine, and Majors scored on a passed ball before the Cougars ended the game with a catch in center field.
Draft racked up 12 hits against three RC pitchers. Coffey led the way with four hits and five RBIs, and Steven Ramsey and Landon Lunsford each recorded two hits.
Leading the Wildcats with two hits each were Paxton, Potter and Smith.
Draft pitchers Varner and Christian Hoke combined to strike out seven and allowed eight hits, six walks and eight runs (three earned). For RC, Martino, Tucker Entsminger and Zachary Majors combined to strike out five while surrendering 12 hits, seven walks and 14 runs (12 earned).
RC and Draft each had four errors. RC was scheduled to play at James River on Friday, but that game was postponed due to rain.
After spring break this week, the Wildcats will play at Staunton on Monday at 5:30 p.m. before starting Valley District action at Harrisonburg on Tuesday at 6 p.m.. Both games are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
