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The Parry McCluer High School softball team concluded its season with a pair of losses last week, a 9-1 defeat in the Pioneer District finals last Monday at Covington and a 4-2 setback at home against George Wythe in the Region 1C quarterfinals on Thursday.
In the district finals at the Jackson River Sports Complex in Covington, the second-seeded Fighting Blues (11-8 overall, 6-2 district) were facing top seed Covington for the third time this season after splitting a pair of regular-season games.
With the victory in the title game, the Cougars defended their district title. In the district finals last year, Covington beat the visiting Blues 7-6 in nine innings.
Following last Monday’s win, Covington lost to Grayson County 10-8 in the Region 1C quarterfinals to conclude the season at 13-10 overall, going 7-1 in the district.
Covington got off to a strong start in the district finals, taking a 3-0 lead in the first when Kayla Bartley hit a three-run home run. The Cougars added another run in the second when Addison Laken Cantrell scored on a PM error.
In the third, Covington’s Breanna Reynolds singled to bring home Lexi Dressler, extending the Cougars’ lead to 5-0. Covington scored two more runs in the fourth when Dressler doubled on a fly ball to center field to drive in Bartley and Gabby Marshall, making it 7-0.
The Cougars scored their final two runs in the fifth when Bartley hit a two-run home run to bring home Cantrell, extending their lead to 9-0.
PM’s lone run came in the seventh. After Payton Emore singled to left field, Autumn Mundy brought her home with a triple to right field.
Cantrell and Bartley led the Cougars with three hits each, while Emore and Gracey Shafer each recorded two hits to lead the Blues.
PM head coach Troy Clark said the Blues “played good defense,” and their hits “were spread out. We just didn’t put anything together.”
“We weren’t as aggressive at the plate as we were the last time we played them,” added Clark, completing his ninth year as PM’s head coach.”
Pitching a complete game, Covington’s Bartley struck out nine and allowed seven hits and two walks. “She was basically throwing strikes,” said Clark. “She’s a very good pitcher.”
Sophomore Olivia Julian pitched a complete game for the Blues, striking out one and surrendering 11 hits and two walks.
GW 4, PM 2
In the Region 1C quarterfinals, the Blues came up short, 4-2, at home against George Wythe on Thursday evening in Buena Vista.
Details and stats from the game were not provided.
“I just want to say how proud I am of this team,” said Clark in a Facebook post on Friday. “We came up short today but we played hard, we played together, and we were in a position to win at the end. We battled throughout this game, and I am proud of the effort and the way you finished.”
“As a team, we have come such a long way through the course of this season,” added Clark, noting that the Blues were a young team after eight players last year, including Katie Claytor, an all-conference first baseman for Southern Virginia University. The Blues, who went 9-12 last year, won two more games this year. Two of the biggest wins were the 10-9 win at Covington on April 25 and a 10-7 win at Rockbridge County on May 1 to avenge a 13-8 April 14 loss in nine innings to the Wildcats.
“We played through some struggles early in the season, but we stayed on course,” said Clark. “We went back to basics, improved every week, and figured some things out along the way. We have a good group of players returning, and we will come back stronger next year.”
The Blues will miss their one senior, Claudia Coleman, who missed the last week of the regular season with an injury. When she was healthy, Coleman and second baseman throughout the season. “I am going to miss this young lady,” said Clark of Coleman. “She is one of the toughest and scrappiest players I have coached. She has played through injuries and shown that she is a Fighting Blue.”
As a message to the rest of the team, which included four juniors and five sophomores, Clark said, “We have a strong nucleus. Championships are built in the offseason. Put in the work, play with passion, make yourself better, remember your teammates, the good times and the struggles, and become the best version of yourself (on and off the field).”
