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Blues Earn Road Win Over Mustangs
Breaking away from a 5-5 tie, the Parry McCluer High School softball team earned a 9-5 road win over Pioneer District rival Eastern Montgomery on Tuesday of last week in Elliston.
With the win, the Fighting Blues improved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the district. The Mustangs would end the week at 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the district, after a 16-4 home win over Narrows on Thursday.
PM’s Payton Emore led off the game with a double and stole third before scoring on a single by Logan Vest. After Autumn Mundy singled, she and Vest each stole a base, and Olivia Julian hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Vest. Victoria Hamilton then drove in Mundy when she singled to left field, extending PM’s lead to 3-0.
In the third, Vest singled to center field, and Mundy and Julian each walked to load the bases. Hamilton then doubled on a line drive to left center field to bring home two runs, stretching PM’s lead to 5-0.
The Mustangs got their offense going in the bottom of the third. Macie Akers tripled and then scored on a single by MacKenzie Hubbard. Alexis Artrip singled to bring home Hubbard, and Artrip scored on a groundout by Kelly Mills, cutting PM’s lead to 5-3.
The Blues had to remove their starting pitcher, Julian, in the fifth because she was sick, and EM scored two runs to tie the game 5-5, after two walks and a PM error.
In the top of the fifth, Hamilton and Gracey Shafer each singled, and both of them scored when Emore doubled on a line drive, putting the Blues up 7-5.
The Blues scored the final two runs of the game in the seventh. Mundy and Julian led off with singles and later scored on an error after Shafer put the ball in play. Julian reentered as the Blues’ pitcher in the seventh to finish the game.
Pleased by his team’s performance, PM head coach Troy Clark said, “I am so proud of how these girls battled. Go Blue!”
Due to poor field conditions because of the rain, PM’s home games that were scheduled to take place against Temple Christian on Thursday and against Buffalo Gap on Friday were postponed to dates to be determined. The Blues will return to Pioneer District action when they play host to Craig County on Thursday before playing host to nondistrict rival Altavista on Monday, with both games starting at 5 p.m.
