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Monday, May 1 – In another classic county rivalry showdown, the Parry McCluer High School softball team fended off a late rally to earn a 10-7 road win over Rockbridge County on Monday evening in Lexington.
With the victory, the Fighting Blues (8-5) avenged their 13-8 April 14 home loss in nine innings to the Wildcats (4-10). Since that first meeting with PM, the Wildcats have lost five consecutive games.
In the rematch, the Blues took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Payton Emore ran home on a wild pitch.
PM added four runs in the third to go up 5-0. Emore singled and then scored on an error, and Olivia Julian hit a fly ball to left field to bring home Logan Vest. Autumn Mundy then scored when Claudia Coleman singled on a grounder, and Julian scored on a groundout by Gracey Shafer.
In the top of the fourth, Mundy doubled on a grounder to drive in Coleman and Logan Vest, and Julia hit an infield fly ball to bring home Mundy, extending PM’s lead to 8-0.
The Wildcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth, and Kelsie Caldwell walked to drive in Emma Hall, cutting PM’s lead to 8-1. RC added another run in the fifth when Parker Dameron scored on a groundout by Kaydence Wilson.
PM answered back in the top of the sixth when Mundy singled on a fly ball to left field to bring home Emore and Vest, making it 10-2.
RC responded by going on an offensive surge in the bottom of the sixth, scoring five runs. After the Wildcats loaded the bases, Bella Dorey stole home, and Lilly Purcell singled on a line drive to center field to bring home Caldwell. Wilson then hit a grounder past third base to drive in Marla Zollman, cutting PM’s lead to 10-5. Purcell scored on a grounder to right field by Page Wright, and Wilson scored on a fly ball to left field by Sadie Moore, but Wright was tagged out by Mundy, PM’s catcher, while attempting to score on the same play.
Neither team scored in the seventh, with both RC and PM making plays to prevent runs.
The Wildcats racked up 16 hits, while PM had 13. Dorey led RC with four hits, Purcell recorded three hits, and Caldwell, Dameron and Wright each added two hits.
Emore paced the Blues with four hits, Mundy added three hits, and Vest had two.
Julian pitched the first 5.2 innings for PM, striking out two and allowing 14 hits, two walks and five runs. Coleman came to the mound for the final 1.3 innings, striking out one and surrendering two hits, two walks and two runs.
Moore pitched the first five innings for RC, striking out six and allowing 10 hits, no walks and eight runs. In the final two innings, Zollman struck out one and surrendered three hits, four walks and two runs.
RC committed one error, while PM had none.
The Blues will return to Pioneer District action when they play host to Eastern Montgomery on Tuesday, and the Wildcats will play a nondistrict game on Thursday at Alleghany. Both games are scheduled for 5 p.m.
For the full stories on this week’s action, with photos from Monday’s game, please see our May 10 newspaper. Coverage of last week’s action will be in this Wednesday’s newspaper.
