Wildcats Complete Softball Sweep

Zollman’s Walk-Off Single Lifts RC Over PM In Game Two

The Rockbridge County High School softball team won both games of a doubleheader against local rival Parry McCluer last Wednesday evening in Lexington, claiming the opener 11-0 in a game that actually began April 1, and battling for a 3-2 win in the second game.

The second game came down to the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Wildcats’ lone senior, Marla Zollman, bringing home Gabriella Brown for the winning run by hitting a single to left field.

Earlier in the game, Zollman, who led all players with four hits, belted a solo home run over the left field fence in the first inning.

Proud of Zollman for stepping up, RC head coach Keston Pelter said, “We’ve been waiting on her to have her breakthrough moment. It has finally happened, and she found her groove.”

Pelter noted that Zollman had pitched in the Wildcats’ 19-0 home loss to Turner Ashby the day before. (See separate story.) “We knew that she was a little sore, but she was due,” said Pelter.

The Wildcats, who improved to 5-11 with the wins, then extended their lead to 2-0 in the first inning when Parker Dameron singled to center field to drive in Page Wright.

The score remained 2-0 through the first six innings, with the Wildcats allowing just one hit, a single from PM’s Autumn Mundy in the first.

After RC sophomore pitcher Sadie Moore threw two strikeouts in the top of the seventh, the Blues, who fell to 7-7 with the losses, got their offense going. PM’s Olivia Julian doubled to center field, and Victoria Hamilton brought her home with a double on to left field, cutting RC’s lead to 2-1.

PM then tied the game 2-2 when Gracey Shafer singled to right field to drive in Hamilton. Kendall Painter then singled, but the Wildcats made the third out with a groundout at first.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Brown singled on a bunt, and Bella Dorey walked, setting up Zollman to drive in the winning run.

Pelter gave the Blues credit for battling at the end of the game. “They finally made adjustments at the end, but we didn’t back down,” she said.

RC recorded eight hits while PM had four.

On the mound, Moore pitched a complete game for RC, striking out eight while allowing no walks.

Giving Moore credit for challenging his batters, PM head coach Troy Clark said, “She’s a really good pitcher. She kept us off balance. I don’t think we were comfortable in there early, but we hung in there. We battled.”

“The second game, we had better at-bats,” added Clark. “At the end, we made little adjustments. They started swinging at strikes. A couple of our batters were swinging at higher pitches. They kind of brought it down to them. I was proud of the way we battled back at the end.”

For PM, junior Alysa Wheeler pitched a complete game, striking out two and surrendering one walk. “Alysa did a good job. She was steady. She kept the ball in the strike zone. I was proud of the way she did.”

The Blues committed two errors, while the Wildcats had one.

The first game originally began on April 1 at PM, but it was stopped in the top of the fifth inning due to lightning, with the Wildcats leading 6-0.

After play resumed on Wednesday, RC added two runs in the sixth when Parker Dameron singled on a grounder to bring home Wright and Zollman.

The Wildcats scored their final three runs in the seventh. Zollman singled to drive in Willow Rogers, Moore singled to bring home Brooklyn Beverly, and Dameron hit a grounder to right field to drive in Zollman.

Dameron led the Wildcats with four hits and seven RBIs. Pitching a complete game, Moore struck out nine while allowing two hits and two walks.

Julian pitched for the Blues on April 1, but she played first base on Wednesday due to an injury, and Wheeler completed the game.