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The Rockbridge County High School baseball team suffered a pair of nondistrict road losses in its opening week, falling 13-3 in six innings last Wednesday at Fort Defiance before coming up short 12-8 on Friday at Staunton.
Against Fort (1-1), the Wildcats (0-2) struggled with eight errors, while the Indians had three. Fort recorded eight hits while RC had six.
The Wildcats took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, with sophomore Clay Irvine running home on a wild pitch and sophomore Price Lunsford scoring on an error. However, Fort responded with two runs in the second and six in the third to take an 8-2 lead.
In the fourth, RC senior Zac Majors scored on a groundout by freshman Rocky Perlozzo to cut the Indians’ lead to 8-3, but Fort responded with three runs in the fifth and added two more in the sixth to end the game early due to the 10run mercy rule.
Recording one hit each for the Wildcats were Irvine, Lunsford, Perlozzo and sophomore Brady Majors. Six different Fort players each had one hit.
On the mound for the Wildcats, sophomore Bennet Bishop, who has already committed to play Division I baseball for Duke University, pitched the first 2.2 innings, striking out three and allowing two hits, four walks and eight runs (one earned). In 1.2 innings of relief, Zac Majors surrendered three hits, one walk and three earned runs.
Staunton 12, RC 8
Staunton (1-2) came from behind to defeat the Wildcats 12-8 on Friday. RC scored three runs in the second inning to go up 3-2. Perlozzo doubled on a line drive to center field to bring home junior Drew Potter and Brady Majors. Perlozzo scored on a groundout by sophomore Trevor Hoke.
Staunton scored three runs in the bottom of the second before the Wildcats erupted for five runs in the fourth to go up 8-5. RC scored two of those runs on a single to right field by Hoke, one on a single by freshman Bradi Ziegler, and one on a triple by Irvine, who ended the scoring by running home on a passed ball. Staunton scored two runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 8-7 before adding its final five runs in the sixth.
The Storm outhit the Wildcats 9-3. Recording one hit each for the Wildcats were Hoke, Perlozzo and junior Nolan Stines. The Wildcats used four pitchers – Brady Majors started; Irvine, Zac Majors and junior Brady Edwards pitched in relief.
