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Tuesday, April 25 – In games against Valley District rival Broadway, the Rockbridge County High School baseball team suffered a 9-5 home loss on Tuesday evening, while the RC softball team fell 10-0.
On the baseball field, the Wildcats (4-8 overall, 1-3 district) led 2-0 after the first two innings, but Broadway (10-4, 3-1) scored six runs in the third and maintained the lead for the rest of the game. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Wildcats.
Clay Irvine gave RC a 1-0 lead in the first by hitting a home run to left field. The Wildcats added another run in the second when Derek Smith singled on a line drive to center field to bring home Nolan Stines.
The Gobblers started their offensive surge in the third when Bransen Hensley hit a line drive to right field, and both Kadyn Sprinkle and Lee Slater scored on an RC error. Conner Michael then doubled on a line drive to left to bring home Hensley, giving Broadway a 3-2 lead. The Gobblers added two more runs when Josiah Crider singled on a line drive to center field to drive in Michael and Hunter Deavers, and Mason Lynn scored on a line drive to center field by Peyton Frank to make it 6-2.
Broadway added another run in the fourth when Slater scored on a groundout. In the sixth, Hensley scored on an RC error to extend the Gobblers’ lead to 8-2.
RC cut the lead to 8-3 in the sixth when Price Lunsford scored on a groundout by Drew Potter, but Broadway made it 9-3 in the seventh when Sprinkle scored on a sacrifice fly to center field.
In the bottom of the seventh, Smith doubled on a fly ball to center field to drive in Irvine, and Hopkins singled on a hard grounder to left field to bring home Smith. Broadway then ended the game with a double play and a catch at second base.
Broadway and RC each recorded nine hits. Smith led RC with two hits and two RBIs, while seven other Wildcats each had one hit.
Sprinkle paced the Gobblers with two hits, while Michael and Josiah Crider each had a hit and two RBIs.
Broadway used three different pitchers, while the Wildcats used four different pitchers.
On the softball field, Broadway (10-4, 3-1) dealt the Wildcats (4-8, 1-3) their third consecutive loss.
The Gobblers racked up 12 hits while holding RC to three hits.
In the top of the first, Broadway’s Emma Morris hit a grounder to bring home Jasmine Jett, and Morris scored on a groundout to make it 2-0.
The Gobblers extended their lead to 3-0 in the second when Kaleigh Harper scored on a bunt by Gett.
In the third, Broadway added four more runs to stretch its lead to 7-0. Ashlyn Spitzer hit a grounder to bring home Brooklyn Spitzer, and Harper tripled on a fly ball to right field to bring home Lilah Deavers and Iris Kline. Harper then scored on a groundout.
The Wildcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the third, with no outs, but the Gobblers ended the inning with a strikeout, a catch in center field, and a groundout.
Broadway added two more runs in the sixth, with Gett scoring on an error and Morris scoring a fly ball to center field by Taylor Suters, to make it 9-0. The Gobblers’ final run came in the seventh when Kline hit a grounder to drive in Harper.
Harper and Morris led the Gobblers with three hits each, while Suters added two hits. Recording one hit each for the Wildcats were Parker Dameron, Sadie Moore and Chasity Southers.
Morris pitched the first three innings for Broadway, striking out five and allowing two hits and two walks. Deavers came to the mound for the final four innings, striking out eight and surrendering one hit and two walks.
Moore pitched a complete game for RC, striking out five and allowing 12 hits and no walks.
The RC softball team will return to action on Thursday when they play host to nondistrict rival James River, while the RC baseball team will play host to county rival Parry McCluer. Both games are scheduled for 5 p.m.
For the full stories and photos from this week’s action, please see our May 3 newspaper. Coverage of last week’s games will be in this Wednesday’s newspaper.
