.jpg)
The Parry McCluer High School baseball team split a pair of games early last week, suffering a 10-0 home loss to Nelson County last Monday before earning a 7-1 road win over Pioneer District rival Covington last Tuesday.
The Fighting Blues, who improved to 5-3 in the district, would fall to 8-5 overall with a 12-0 road loss to Rockbridge County on Thursday. (See separate story.)
With the win over Covington, PM completed a sweep of the regular-season series. When the two teams met on March 30 at PM, the Blues won 14-0 in five innings. Covington ended last week at 2-14 overall and 0-7 in the district.
In last Tuesday’s game, the Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Trey Cook singled on a grounder to left field to bring home Tanner Hoke.
PM tied the game in the sixth when Braedyn Houck scored on a groundout to second base by Tanner Coleman.
The Blues then had a late offensive barrage, racking up six runs in the top of the seventh.
PM took a 2-1 lead when Evan Cook tripled on a line drive to center field to bring home Brayden Holdren. Maison Hamilton then singled on a suicide squeeze bunt to the pitcher to drive in Cook. Peyton Ramsey doubled on a line drive to left field to bring in Hamilton and Brayden Conley, extending the Blues’ lead to 5-1.
Houck then doubled on a fly ball to right field to drive in Ramsey. Coleman, the next batter up, walked, and Houck ran home for the final run when Aaron Pruett reached first base on a dropped third strike.
In the bottom of the seventh, Covington’s Rocklynn Phillips walked, but the Blues ended the game with a double play and a strikeout thrown by Houck.
The Blues recorded six hits, while Covington had three.
Holdren led PM with two hits, while Ramsey had a hit and two RBIs. Recording one hit each for PM were Hamilton, Houck and Cook.
Registering one hit each for the Cougars were Trey Cook, Ethan Martin and Hayden Rodgers.
PM head coach Bryan Loy was pleased with both of his pitchers. Tyler Wade pitched the first four innings, striking out five and allowing three hits, one walk and one unearned run. Houck came to the mound for the final three innings, striking out four and surrendering no hits, one walk and no runs.
Landon Arritt pitched until the Blues went on their scoring surge early in the seventh. In 6.1 innings, Arritt struck out eight and allowed six hits, one walk and seven runs (five earned). Garrett Carper came to the mound in the seventh and threw three strikeouts while allowing no hits, two walks and no runs.
Covington committed two errors, while PM had one.
NC 13, PM 0
The Blues lost at home 13-0 in six to Nelson County on Monday of last week.
Nelson County, which ended the week at 8-5 overall, broke away from a 4-0 lead by racking up nine runs in the sixth to end the game early due to the 10-run mercy rule.
The Governors took a 2-0 lead in the second by scoring on two PM errors. In the fourth, Ty Mauer singled on a line drive to left field to bring home George Knight, making it 3-0. Blake Victor stole home in the fifth to extend Nelson’s lead to 4-0.
In the seventh, a triple to center field by Mauer brought in a run, and a double to left field by James Allen drove in another to make it 6-0. The Governors then scored two runs on wild pitches, another on a passed ball, and one more on a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 10-0. Nelson scored on another passed ball, and the Governors added their final two runs on a PM error.
For the game, the Blues committed eight errors, while Nelson had one. The Governors recorded eight hits, while PM had five.
Kevin Knight led Nelson with three hits, while Allen and Mauer each had two hits. Ramsey paced PM with two hits, while Wade, Pruett and Cole Mills each recorded one hit.
George Knight pitched all six innings for Nelson, striking out 10 and allowing five hits, one walk and no runs. The Blues used three different pitchers: Jase Barger, Coleman and Pruett.
The Blues were scheduled to have district home games against Bath County on Monday and against Eastern Montgomery yesterday and will visit Nelson County on Friday at 7 p.m. PM will return to district action at Bath County next Tuesday at 5 p.m.
