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The Parry McCluer High School baseball team concluded the regular season by winning a pair of Pioneer District games, earning an 8-4 road victory against Bath County on Tuesday of last week before edging Highland County 2-1 on Thursday in Buena Vista.
On Thursday, junior pitcher Braedyn Houck struck out 15 and scored the winning run to lead the Fighting Blues (10-7 overall, 8-4 district) in the barnburner. Houck scored on Brayden Holdren’s walk-off single on a line drive to center field.
Houck also pitched a complete game for PM, allowing five hits, one walk and one run.
With the win, the Blues avenged a 9-2 April 3 loss at Highland County and secured the No. 2 seed in the Pioneer District tournament. The Blues were scheduled to play host to seventh-seeded Covington for a quarterfinal game yesterday. For tournament updates, visit www. thenews-gazette.com.
The victory also allowed the Blues to finish the regular season ahead of Highland, who fell to 6-6 in the district and then to 9-10 overall with a 5-2 nondistrict loss to Blue Ridge Christian on Friday, On Thursday, Highland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Walker Williams singled on a line drive to center field to bring home Zachary Armstrong.
The Blues answered back in the bottom of the second when Aaron Pruett singled on a line drive to left field to bring in Houck.
Both teams prevented runs with strong fielding and pitching until the Blues broke through in the bottom of the seventh. Houck singled on a line drive, then stole second before advancing to third when Pruett singled on a line drive to shortstop. Holdren then brought home Houck for the winning run.
Pruett led PM with two hits. Adding one hit each were Holdren, Houck, Evan Cook and Maison Hamilton.
Armstrong and John Wagner led Highland with two hits each. On the mound for the Rams, Wagner pitched a complete game, striking out three and allowing six hits, two walks and two runs (one earned).
Each team committed one error.
Reviewing the game, PM head coach Bryan Loy said, “We had timely hitting today. Braedyn Houck pitched really well for us. … He was dealing today on the mound. He was able to dig deep there at the end when we needed him to shut it down in the seventh, and our bats were able to do what they needed to do in the bottom of the seventh, and he was part of it.”
Before the game, the Blues honored Hamilton, their lone senior. Praising Hamilton, a shortstop who has also pitched this season, Loy said, “He’s been a big contributor to the program.” Loy noted that Hamilton, whose freshman season was canceled due to COVID-19, has been a starter for the Blues since his sophomore year.
PM 8, BC 4
The Blues earned an 8-4 win over Bath County on Tuesday of last week in Hot Springs.
With the victory, PM avenged a 10-8 May 1 home loss to the Chargers, who ended the regular season at 4-11 overall and 4-8 in the district.
In the rematch, the Blues had a strong evening on the mound. Peyton Ramsey pitched the first four innings, striking out five and allowing four hits, four walks and three runs (two earned). Tyler Wade came to the mound for the final three innings, striking out seven and surrendering three hits, no walks and one unearned run.
“Peyton Ramsey pitched well for us, and Tyler Wade came in in relief and pitched really well for us,” said Loy.
The Blues trailed 3-1 after four innings, but they scored four runs in the fifth and gradually pulled away. “Again, it was a situation with timely hitting when we needed it towards the end to take the lead,” said Loy.
The Chargers took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Wyatt Campbell singled on a line drive to left field to bring home Braydon Gibson and Ethan Persinger.
PM cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the third when Pruett singled on a line drive to center field to drive in Ramsey.
Bath answered back in the fourth when Gibson scored on an error to extend the Chargers’ lead to 3-1.
The Blues got their bats going in the fifth. After PM loaded the bases on a double by Ramsey, a single by Houck, and a walk of Wade, Pruett doubled on a line drive to left field to bring home Ramsey and Houck. The next batter up was Holdren, who singled on a line drive to right field to bring home Wade and Pruett, giving PM a 5-3 lead.
PM added another run in the top of the sixth when Ramsey singled on a line drive to left field to bring home Hamilton.
The Chargers responded in the bottom of the sixth when Isaac Ingram doubled on a fly ball to shortstop to drive in Persinger, cutting PM’s lead to 6-4.
In the top of the seventh, Holdren singled on a line drive to left field to bring home Pruett. Holdren then scored the final run of the game on a Bath error. In the bottom of the second, the Blues ended the game by fielding a groundout and on two strikeouts by Wade.
The Blues recorded nine hits against two Bath pitchers, Ingram and Hunter Ryder, while Bath had seven hits.
Leading PM with two hits each were Ramsey, Pruett and Holdren. Pruett and Holdren each recorded three RBIs. Campbell and Ingram paced the Chargers with two hits each.
Bath committed three errors, while PM had two.
