Wildcats Split With Harrisonburg

Moore Strikes Out 12 In 5-4 Road Win Over Streaks

The Rockbridge County High School softball team split a pair of games with Harrisonburg last week, earning a 5-4 road win last Wednesday before suffering a 2-0 home loss on Friday. The Wildcats also lost 4-1 at East Rockingham last Tuesday.

In the first game against Harrisonburg (8-5 overall, 3-4 district), the Wildcats (2-10, 1-6) overcame a 2-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the fourth inning and adding another run in the sixth.

The game was tied 4-4 in the top of the seventh when the Wildcats scored the go-ahead run. Page Wright singled to center field to bring home Bella Dorey. RC sophomore pitcher Sadie Moore then struck out all three batters she faced in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win.

Moore pitched a complete game, striking out 12 while allowing eight hits, no walks and four runs (two earned).

With the victory, the Wildcats snapped an eight-game losing streak. Harrisonburg took a 2-0 lead in the fourth with a double by McKenna Dayton and by scoring on an RC error.

RC answered back in the fifth when Dorey singled to drive home Cameron Terry, and Marla Zollman singled to left field to bring home Gabriella Brown, tying the game 2-2. The Wildcats then went up 3-2 when Dorey stole home.

In the sixth, RC extended its lead to 4-2 when Brown singled to left field to drive in Terry. Harrisonburg then got a home run from Dayton and scored on an RC error to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth.

Dorey reached base with a single to center field in the seventh and advanced to third on a groundout by Zollman, setting up Wright to bring home Dorey to give RC the lead for good.

RC and Harrisonburg each recorded eight hits. Dorey, Wright and Terry led the Wildcats with two hits each, while Zollman and Brown each had one hit.

Leading the Blue Streaks with two hits each were Dayton, Kayli Alvarado and Idaly Alvarez.

On the mound for Harrisonburg, Ashlyn Smiley pitched a complete game, striking out nine and allowing eight hits, no walks and five runs (two earned).

RC committed four errors, while Harrisonburg had three.

HHS 2, RC 0

On Friday in Lexington, the Blue Streaks took a 1-0 lead in the first and added their other run in the seventh to deal the Wildcats a 2-0 loss.

Harrisonburg recorded six hits while RC had three. Dayton led the Blue Streaks with three hits and Jordyn Byler picked up two.

Terry paced the Wildcats with two hits, while Parker Dameron had one.

Smiley pitched a complete game for Harrisonburg, striking out eight while allowing eight hits, one walk and no runs.

Moore pitched all seven innings for RC, striking out four while surrendering six hits, no walks and two earned runs.

Harrisonburg committed two errors while RC had none.

ER 4, RC 1

The Wildcats suffered a 4-1 road loss to East Rockingham (6-8, 2-5) on Tuesday of last week in Elkton.

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the first when BreAnn Malin doubled to left field to drive in Emily Campbell.

RC tied the game at 1-1 in the third when Moore singled to center field to bring home Zollman.

ER answered with two runs in the third, scoring one on an RC error and adding another when Malin singled on a hard grounder to center field to drive in Kendall Morris, making it 3-1.

The Eagles scored the final run of the game in the sixth when Emily Campbell singled to left field to bring home Alexis Kisling.

ER recorded 12 hits while RC had 11. Campbell led the Eagles with three hits while Malin, Sierra Custer and Isabelle Cubbage added two hits each.

Moore paced the Wildcats with three hits while Zollman, Wright, Terry and Willow Rogers recorded two hits each.

Caroline Eppard pitched a complete game for ER, striking out five and allowing 11 hits, two walks and one earned run.

For the Wildcats, Moore pitched a complete game, striking out seven while surrendering 12 hits, no walks and four runs (two earned).

RC committed two errors while ER had none.

The Wildcats will play host to Staunton on Thursday at 5 p.m. before returning to district action at Spotswood on Friday at 5:30 p.m. They’ll continue district action at home against Turner Ashby on Tuesday before playing host to local rival Parry McCluer next Wednesday, May 8, with both games at 5 p.m.