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In a local rivalry slugfest, the Parry McCluer High School baseball team earned a 6-5 comeback win at home over Rockbridge County on Friday evening in Buena Vista.
The Wildcats (4-5) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second, but PM (6-2) scored a run in the bottom of the second, and Jase Barger hit a three-run home run to give the Fighting Blues a 4-3 lead. The Blues would hold onto the lead for the rest of the game.
Dating back to last season, the Blues won their third straight one-run game over the Wildcats. The Blues swept the season series with the Wildcats in 2022, winning 2-1 both times.
In Friday’s game, the Wildcats grabbed the momentum in the second, drawing five consecutive walks, with both Thomas Armstrong and Brady Majors scoring. Price Lunsford scored RC’s third run on a sacrifice fly to right field by Clay Irvine.
PM cut RC’s lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the second when Tanner Coleman singled on a fly ball to left field to bring home Braedyn Houck.
In the third, PM’s Cole Mills was hit by a pitch, and Tyler Wade walked. Barger then blasted his three-run home run on a line drive to left field, giving the Blues a 4-3 lead. “Barger’s three-run homer was huge for flipping the momentum,” said PM head coach Bryan Loy.
The Blues added two runs in the fifth, with Houck scoring on an error and Barger stealing home, to extend their lead to 6-3.
In the sixth, Lunsford scored on a groundout by Nolan Stines to cut PM’s lead to 6-4. The Wildcats added one more run in the seventh when Tucker Hopkins singled on a grounder to drive in Cohen Paxton, but Aaron Pruett caught a fly ball in center field for the final out.
The Blues recorded eight hits, while the Wildcats had six. “I thought we had a good approach at the plate,” said Loy. “We were selective while also looking to put a good hard swing on the ball.”
Ramsey led PM with three hits, while Houck added two hits. Hopkins paced RC with two hits and an RBI, and Stines had an RBI.
Barger pitched the first inning for the Blues, and Houck pitched the final six innings, striking out two and allowing six hits, no walks and two earned runs. Cohen Paxton pitched the first 4.1 innings for RC, striking out six and surrendering six hits, two walks and six runs (five earned). Tucker Entsminger pitched the final 1.2 innings for the Wildcats.
RC committed two errors, while PM had one. Pleased with his team’s resilience, Loy said, “We fell behind early but I thought our guys showed a lot of grit to battle back. Braedyn Houck took over on the mound in the second and got us out of a jam while minimizing the damage.”
Loy said the showdown was “a good competitive baseball game. The game was full of emotions, both high and low for both teams.”
Giving credit to the Blues, RC head coach Travis Roadcap said, “Congrats to Coach Loy and PM. That’s a game where you just tip your cap in baseball to him and his players. They stepped up in big situations; we didn’t.”
“Beauty about baseball is you play each other multiple times,” added Roadcap. “Their coaches do a phenomenal job over there, and they have a good team that should win a bunch of games with their schedule.”
Roadcap praised Barger and Houck, who “came up big in huge situations for them. Sometimes in baseball, you don’t hit the ball the way you want or it doesn’t bounce your way.”
The Wildcats and Blues will meet again at RC on Thursday, April 27, at 5 p.m.
RC was scheduled to play host to Spotswood yesterday and will continue Valley District action at Turner Ashby on Friday at 6 p.m. before playing host to Broadway on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
The Blues were slated to play at Craig County yesterday and will continue Pioneer District action at home against Narrows on Thursday at 5 p.m. On Monday, the Blues will play host to Nelson County in nondistrict action, with a 5:30 p.m. junior varsity game preceding a 7 p.m. varsity game. PM’s varsity team will return to district action at Covington on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Looking ahead, Loy said, “We still have things to work on, but I think, as a team, we are heading in the right direction.”
