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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 – all by one run – dating back to last year.
Pleased with his team’s performance, RC head coach Travis Roadcap said, “We did what we were supposed to do.”
Commending the Wildcats, PM head coach Bryan Loy said, “Credit to them. It was a good win for Rockbridge, a good win for the rivalry because, when the same team wins all the time, it’s not a rivalry anymore.” The Wildcats got their offense going in the first when leadoff hitter Clay Irvine doubled to center field, and Derek Smith singled 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 to drive in Irvine, and Paxton singled on a line drive to center field to bring home Smith, making it 10-0.
After Paxton 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.
Bishop returned from an injury earlier in the week and pitched an inning of relief in the Wildcats’ 9-5 home loss to Broadway last Tuesday. “Hopefully, we’re healthy for the rest of the year,” said Roadcap. “He’s a big asset to us. We’ve competed with teams, but having him back is gonna really help us in the long run.”
RC racked up 12 hits, while PM had four. Irvine led the Wildcats with three hits and three RBIs, Hopkins and Smith each recorded two hits and two RBIs, and Lunsford had two hits.
Roadcap was pleased with how RC seniors Hopkins, Paxton and Smith all stepped up to guide a young team. “My seniors are leading,” he said. “We have a good group of kids, but getting healthy was a big thing for us early on.”
On the other side, Loy said the Wildcats were “the same team as when we played them the first time. They hit the ball well. There are a few plays here and there that we didn’t make that could’ve changed the game a little bit, but that’s baseball.”
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 a nd a llowing f our h its and no walks. Bishop came to the mound for the final 1.1 innings, striking out four and surrendering no hits and no walks.
Senior Maison Hamilton, who doesn’t often pitch for the Blues, pitched all four innings for PM, striking out two and allowing 12 hits, seven walks and 12 earned runs. “We asked him to come in and pitch for us, and I thought he threw the ball well,” said Loy. “We just missed some plays behind him that changed the game, but I’m pleased with his efforts on the mound, for sure.”
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 threerun home run to flip the momentum in the Blues’ favor.
PM committed two errors, while RC had one.
Looking ahead to the Pioneer District schedule, Loy said, “We had used some of our pitching to focus on winning our district schedule to set us up for the playoffs, so we didn’t have everybody available, but that’s baseball. We’ll focus on the district.”
