.jpg)
Thursday, April 27 – Erupting for 10 runs in the first inning, the Rockbridge County High School baseball team dominated local rival Parry McCluer on Thursday evening, cruising to a 12-0 win in five innings. With the victory, the Wildcats (5-8) ended a four-game losing streak and avenged a 6-5 road loss on April 14 to the Fighting Blues (8-5) to split the season series. The Blues had won the last three games against the Wildcats, dating back to last year.
The Wildcats got their offense going in the first when leadoff hitter Clay Irvine doubled on a fly ball to center field, and Derek Smith singled on a fly ball to right field to bring him home. After Cohen Paxton walked, Tucker Hopkins singled on a hard grounder to first base to drive in Smith and Paxton. Hopkins later stole home to make it 4-0, and Thomas Armstrong singled on a line drive to left field to bring home Price Lunsford.
Keeping the hits going, Drew Potter tripled on a fly ball to right field to drive in Armstrong, and RC added two more runs when Irvine doubled on a line drive to left field to bring in Potter and Nolan Stines. Smith then tripled on a fly ball to left field field to drive in Irvine, and Paxton singled on a line drive to center field to bring home Smith, making it 10-0.
After Paxton, a senior pitcher, threw three consecutive strikeouts in the top of the second, the Wildcats added another run in the bottom of the second when Lunsford scored on an error.
The Wildcats scored their final run in the fourth when Irvine singled on a fly ball to right field to drive in Stines.
In the top of the fifth, RC freshman relief pitcher Bennett Bishop struck out the final three PM batters, as the game ended early due to the 10-run mercy rule.
RC racked up 12 hits, while PM had four. Irvine led the Wildcats with three hits and three RBIs, Smith and Hopkins each recorded two hits and two RBIs, and Lunsford had two hits.
Recording one hit each for the Blues were Tyler Wade, Peyton Ramsey, Braedyn Houck and Tanner Coleman.
Paxton pitched the first 3.2 innings for RC, striking out five and allowing four hits and no walks. Bishop came to the mound for the final 1.1 innings, striking out four and surrendering no hits and now walks.
Senior Maison Hamilton pitched all four innings for PM, striking out two and allowing 12 hits, seven walks and 12 earned runs.
PM committed two errors, while RC had one.
The Blues were playing without one of their top pitchers and hitters, Jase Barger, who was out with an injury. In PM’s win in the previous meeting, Barger hit a three-run home run to flip the momentum in the Blues’ favor.
The Wildcats are scheduled to return to Valley District action when they play host to Harrisonburg on Friday, and the Blues will return to Pioneer District action with a home game against Bath County on Monday. Both games are scheduled for 5 p.m.
For the full stories on this week’s action, with photos from Thursday’s game, please see our May 3 newspaper.
