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The Rockbridge County High School baseball team dropped a pair of Valley District games last week, falling at home 11-4 against Spotswood last Tuesday before coming up short 4-2 at Turner Ashby on Friday.
With the win over the Wildcats (4-7 overall, 1-2 district) after coming back from a 4-1 deficit, Spotswood improved to 3-0 in district action. The Trailblazers ended the week at 8-5 overall.
The Wildcats had a challenge going up against Spotswood pitcher Ben Moyer, who threw for the first 6.2 innings, striking out seven and allowing eight hits, two walks and four earned runs. Moyer has committed to play Division I baseball for Samford University next year. Nearing the pitch count limitation, he was replaced by Brady Hoover for the final out, a groundout.
RC head coach Travis Roadcap said he was pleased with how his team hit against Moyer. Leading the Wildcats with two hits each were Clay Irvine, Derek Smith and Price Lunsford, who had two RBIs. Recording one hit each were Cohen Paxton and Thomas Armstrong.
The game was looking good for the Wildcats when they were up 4-1 in the top of the fifth with two outs, but Spotswood scored two runs on an RC error. After that, Roadcap said, “The wheels just kind of fell off. We started booting the ball around and giving away free bases late.”
The Wildcats committed six errors – four in the sixth inning – when the Blazers erupted for eight runs to pull away. Spotswood committed no errors.
Early in the game, the Blazers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jackson Moyer singled on a line drive to right field to bring home Trevor Shifflett.
RC responded in the bottom of the first when Lunsford singled on a fly ball to center field to drive in Irvine and Smith, giving the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
The Wildcats added two runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 4-1. Armstrong ran home on a wild pitch, and Irvine hit a home run to left field.
In the top of the fifth, Spotswood’s Hezekiah Cross and Nathan Leslie scored on an RC error to cut the lead to 4-3. After two RC errors in the sixth, Andrew O’Brien scored on a Wildcat error to tie the game 4-4. Matthew Craig and Camden Blank both scored on a passed ball, and Jackson Baugher scored on an RC error to extend Spotswood’s lead to 7-4. After Spotswood drew a pair of walks, Hoover singled on a grounder to second base to drive in Leslie. A double on a fly ball to center field by Irvine Clark brought in the final three runs of the game for Spotswood. For the rest of the game, neither team got a hit.
Jackson Moyer led Spotswood with two hits and had an RBI, while five other Blazers each recorded one hit.
On the mound for the Wildcats, junior Sean Martino had a solid outing. Martino pitched the first five innings, allowing five hits, five walks and seven unearned runs. RC’s relief pitchers were Tucker Entsminger and Zachary Majors.
TA 4, RC 2
The Wildcats suffered a 4-2 road loss to Turner Ashby on Friday evening.
RC took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and led for most of the game until the Knights (10-3, 2-1) scored three runs in the sixth.
Irvine, RC’s leadoff hitter, started the game with a single on a grounder to left field. Smith then brought him home with a single on a line drive to center field. Later in the inning, Lunsford singled on a line drive to left field to bring home Tucker Hopkins.
In the bottom of the first, TA cut the lead to 2-1 when Grayson Smith scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Brandon Petit.
The next four innings were scoreless, but Grayson Smith was hit by a pitch in the sixth, and Micah Matthews, who has committed to Division I school South Carolina, singled on a hard grounder to left field. Caden Swartley then hit a three-run home run, giving the Knights a 4-2 lead. The Wildcats were only able to manage a single from Brady Majors in the top of the seventh before the Knights ended the game with good fielding.
Reviewing the outcome, Roadcap said the loss taught the Wildcats what they need to do better. “We just have to learn to take the next step and finish because we’re playing with everyone, just have to find a way to take over late in these ballgames.”
The Wildcats recorded seven hits, while TA had just three hits. Irvine led RC with two hits, while Lunsford and Derek Smith each recorded a hit and an RBI. Registering one hit each for TA were Matthews, Swartley and Petit.
On the mound for the Wildcats, Paxton pitched the first five innings, striking out two and allowing three hits, one walk and four runs (three earned). Brady Majors threw for the final innings, striking out one and surrendering no hits, no walks and no runs.
Tyler Hill pitched a complete game for the Knights, striking out four and allowing seven hits, no walks and two earned runs. RC and TA each committed two errors.
Looking back over the week, Roadcap said, “We had a lot of positive things happen in those two games, just have to put it all together through seven innings.”
The Wildcats were scheduled to play host to Broadway yesterday and will have a home game against rival Parry McCluer on Thursday before returning to district action at home against Harrisonburg on Friday. RC will play host to James River next Wednesday, May 3, for a nondistrict contest. All games are scheduled for 5 p.m.
