PMHS Falls In Region Quarters

Blues Close Softball Season With Two Losses

The Parry McCluer High School softball team concluded its season with two home losses, falling to Eastern Montgomery 9-7 in the Pioneer District finals on Monday of last week before suffering a 10-1 setback against Giles in the Region 1C quarterfinals on Thursday in Buena Vista.

In the district finals, topseeded Blues (9-9, 6-1) found themselves in a back-andforth battle against secondseeded Eastern Montgomery (15-5, 5-2), with the Mustangs dealing PM a 9-7 loss. The teams had split their two regular-season contests before the Blues won the first-place tiebreaker 8-3 on May 9 in Buchanan.

The Mustangs went on to defeat George Wythe 3-2 in the Region 1C quarterfinals on Thursday.

In last Monday’s game, seven errors hurt the Blues, while EM had four errors.

“We’ve got to clean that up,” said PM head coach Troy Clark. “We’ve got to play clean softball. We’ve got to play clean defense.”

PM led 7-5 after Payton Emore hit safely to left field to bring home two runs in the fifth, but the Mustangs scored two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to earn the win.

Earlier in the game, the Blues took a 2-0 lead when Autumn Mundy doubled to center field to bring home Emore and Logan Vest in the first inning.

The Mustangs answered when Alexis Artrip’s hit drove in Katie Salyer in the second, cutting the lead to 2-1.

EM added two runs in the top of the third to go up 3-2, but the Blues responded with two of their own runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead back, 4-3. Mundy ran home on a wild pitch, and Kendall Painter hit a fly ball to right field to drive in Victoria Hamilton.

The Mustangs answered with two runs in the top of the fourth to take a 5-4 lead, but PM tied the game 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth when Mundy singled to left field to drive in Ally Cullen.

After Emore’s fly ball gave PM a 7-5 lead in the fifth, the Mustangs tied the game 7-7 in the top of the sixth by scoring two runs on a grounder by Macie Akers. EM scored the final two runs of the game on a grounder in the seventh by Kelly Mills.

EM recorded 12 hits, while PM had nine. Pacing the Mustangs with two hits apiece were Akers, Mills, Artrip, Caiden Roupe and MacKenzie Hubbard. Leading the Blues with two hits each were Emore, Mundy, Painter and Gracey Shafer.

On the mound, Artrip pitched the first 2.2 innings for EM, striking out one while allowing two this, three walks and four runs (three earned). Mary Miller then pitched the final 4.1 innings, striking out six while surrendering seven hits, no walks and three earned runs.

For PM, junior Alysa Wheeler pitched a complete game, allowing 12 hits, two walks and nine runs (three earned). “Alysa did what she needed to do,” said Clark, completing his 10th year as PM’s head coach. “We just didn’t make plays behind her.”

Giles 10, PM 1

The Blues’ season came to an end with a 10-1 home loss to Giles on Thursday.

Giles (12-10), the fourth seed from the Mountain Empire District, racked up 21 hits while holding the Blues to three.

After two scoreless innings, Giles took a 4-0 lead in the third before adding a fifth run in the fifth. The Spartans then scored five runs in the sixth to go up 10-0.

PM’s lone run came in the sixth when Shafer hit a grounder and reached on an error, bringing home Mundy. The Blues couldn’t trim the lead anymore, though, failing to get a runner on base after that.

Addison Hylton led the Spartans with four hits, Addisyn Vanderpool added three hits and two RBIs, and Sarah Ratcliffe had three hits.

Recording one hit each for PM were Mundy, Cullen and Olivia Julian.

On the mound, Addison Lowry pitched a complete game for Giles, striking out six while allowing three hits, one walk and one unearned run.

Wheeler pitched the first five innings for PM, surrendering 15 hits, one walk and nine runs (eight earned). In the final two innings, Julian allowed six hits, no walks and one earned run. PM and Giles each committed one error.

The Blues, who ended last year’s 11-8 season with a 4-2 loss to George Wythe in the Region 1C quarterfinals, graduated three seniors last Friday: Emore, Mundy and Shafer.

Emore, a shortstop who has played for the varsity team all four years, earning all-state honors her freshman and senior years, signed her national letter of intent on May 7 to continue her academic and softball career at Bryant & Stratton College in Virginia Beach. Mundy, the Blues’ catcher, is going into nursing. Shafer, a designated player for PM, will go to Mountain Gateway Community College next year.