PM Bounces Back From Losses To EM, Nelson
Playing three games in three days, the Parry McCluer High School softball team suffered a pair of 11-1 losses before bouncing back with a 23-6 home win in five innings over Pioneer District rival Craig County on Thursday in Buena Vista.
The Fighting Blues (4-10 overall, 3-2 district) ended the week with a 5-1 home loss to local rival Rockbridge County on Saturday in Buena Vista. (See separate story.)
Against Craig County (2-8, 1-3), the Blues exploded for 12 runs in the top of the first. The offensive surge included a tworun homer to left field by Kendall Painter, along with four RBI singles, an RBI double, two RBI walks and a run off a Craig error.
The Blues added three runs in the second, two on a single by Logan Vest and one on a groundout by Olivia Julian, to stretch their lead to 15-0.
Craig scored one run in the second, but PM responded with seven runs in the third and added another run in the fourth before the Rockets scored the final four runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth.
PM racked up 15 hits against three Craig pitchers. Sophie Chittum and Alysa Wheeler led the Blues with three hits each, while Painter and Vest each recorded two hits. Painter and Chittum led PM with four RBIs apiece.
Julian pitched all five innings for the Blues, striking out four while allowing 12 hits, no walks and five runs, four of them earned.
EM 11, PM 1
The Blues suffered an 11-1 home loss to Eastern Montgomery, which remained unbeaten in the Pioneer District, on Tuesday of last week in Buena Vista.
The Mustangs (8-5, 5-0), who had defeated the Blues 21-3 in five innings on April 8 in Elliston, took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly and a groundout. EM added three runs in the second, on a single by Samantha Brein and a triple by Rena Chandler, to extend its lead to 5-0.
The Mustangs scored three more runs in the fourth, on triples by Brein and Chandler and on a sacrifice fly, making it 8-0.
PM’s lone run came in the bottom of the fourth when Chittum scored on an EM error.
The Mustangs made it 9-1 in the top of the fifth when Brein singled on a line drive to right field to bring home Riley Kochel. The Mustangs finished the game with a run in the sixth and one more in the seventh.
Brein, Chandler and Madison Hall led EM with three hits each, while Macie Akers recorded two hits.
Julian paced PM with two hits, while five Blues each had one hit.
Mary Miller earned the win on the mound for the Mustangs, striking out 10 while allowing seven hits, one walk and one unearned run.
For PM, Julian pitched a complete game, striking out five while surrendering 14 hits, two walks and 10 runs, nine of them earned.
The Mustangs committed three errors, while the Blues had two.
NC 11, PM 1
Nelson County dealt the visiting Blues an 11-1 road loss in five innings last Wednesday in Lovingston.
Alayna Taylor pitched all five innings for the Governors (3-9), striking out nine while allowing just three hits, one walk and one unearned run.
Nelson took a 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Taylor, and the Governors scored eight runs on five singles and a double in the second to extend their lead to 9-0. In the fourth, Cristina Harlow singled on a grounder to left field to bring home Kylie Birckhead and Delanie Brown, making it 11-0.
PM’s lone run came in the top of the fifth when Vest doubled on a fly ball to left field to drive in Jordyn Hostetter, but the Governors then got the third out with a groundout, ending the game early due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Harlow and Alexus Robinson led Nelson with two hits each. Recording one hit each for PM were Vest, Julian and Hostetter.
Wheeler pitched for PM, striking out one while allowing 11 hits, no walks and 11 runs, six of them earned.
The Blues committed five errors, while the Governors had one.
PM has just one game scheduled this week, a nondistrict contest at home against Buffalo Gap on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The Blues will conclude the regular season when they play host to district rival Craig County next Thursday, May 16, at 5 p.m. Before the game, the Blues will honor their four seniors: Julian, Vest, Wheeler and Natalie Mohler.
