The Rockbridge County High School softball team suffered a pair of close home losses last week, coming up short against Valley District rival William Monroe 11-9 last Tuesday before falling to Fort Defiance 5-3 in nondistrict action on Thursday.
The Wildcats (4-8 overall, 2-6 district) came back from a 6-4 deficit in the against the Dragos to take a 9-7 lead, but WM scored the final four runs of the game in the sixth and seventh innings.
In the top of the first, WM’s Bailey Brown scored on an RC error to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Ally Mannion then singled to bring home Emma Taylor, making it 2-0.
The Wildcats tied the game in the second when Willow Rogers singled to center field to bring home Lily Thomas. RC then loaded the bases and scored when Brooke Hostetter was hit by a pitch, bringing home Rogers. Bella Dorey then hit a pop fly out to second base to drive in Cameron Terry, giving RC a 3-2 lead.
The Dragons answered in the third, tying the game 3-3 when Reagan Shifflett ran home on a wild pitch. Leeah Toliver then scored on an RC error to give WM a 4-3 lead.
In the bottom of the third, Sadie Moore bunted and reached first base on an error, bringing home Gabby Brown to tie the game 4-4.
WM responded with two runs in the third on a double by Shifflett to take a 6-4 lead.
RC’s Kayleigh Rosson led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run over the center field fence. Brown singled on a bunt to drive in Dorey, tying the game 6-6.
The Dragons took a 7-6 lead in the top of the fifth when Mannion scored on a groundout, but the Wildcats tied it 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth when Terry hit a grounder to center field to bring home Brown. The Wildcats scored two more runs in the inning, with Rogers crossing home plate on a groundout by Rosson and Terry stealing home, to go up 9-7.
WM answered in the top of the sixth when Allie Shifflett singled to left field to bring home Delana Taylor, and the Dragons tied the game 9-9 when Mannion singled to left field to drive in Reagan Shifflett.
After allowing only one runner on base in the bottom of the sixth, WM capitalized on two RC errors in the top of the seventh and went up 10-9 when Adyn Douglas singled to bring home Marilyn Baird. WM then scored the final run of the game when Taylor hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home Callie Shifflett.
WM racked up 15 hits while RC had 11. Mannion led WM with four hits, while Taylor, Bailey Brown and Reagan Shifflett each had two hits. Recording two hits each for the Wildcats were Dorey, Rogers, Rosson and Gabby Brown. Sadie Moore pitched a complete game for RC, striking out five while allowing the 15 hits, no walks and 11 runs, four of them earned. The Wildcats committed eight errors, while the Dragons had two.
FD 5, RC 3
On Thursday, the Wildcats saw a 3-2 lead slip away, as Fort Defiance (12-4) scored the final three runs of the game to earn a 5-3 win in Lexington.
Fort took a 1-0 lead in the third when Sara Turner doubled to center field to drive in Jadin Brown. Turner then scored on a groundout by Caroline Hanger to make it 2-0.
The Wildcats answered withthree runs in the bottom of the third. After singles by Rogers and Rosson, Dorey singled to center field to bring home Rogers, and Page Wright singled to center field to drive in Rosson. The Wildcats took a 3-2 lead when Gabby Brown singled on a grounder to shortstop to bring home Dorey.
Fort responded in the top of the fifth when Jadin Brown ran home on a wild pitch, tying the game 3-3. The Indians took a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth when Brailyn Breeden reached first base on an error, bringing home Sherri Marshall. In the top of the seventh, Fort scored the final run of the game when Hanger singled to center field to drive in Olivia Newman.
Moore led RC with two hits, while Newman and Hanger paced Fort with two hits each. On the mound, Breeden and Hanger combined to strike out four while allowing nine hits, six walks and three earned runs. For RC, Moore pitched a complete game, striking out one while surrendering 10 hits, one walk and five earned runs. RC and Fort each committed one error.
The Wildcats were scheduled to play host to East Rockingham yesterday. They’ll have a nondistrict home game against Staunton on Thursday before playing host to district rival Turner Ashby on Friday. On Monday, the Wildcats will play host to district rival Rocktown for a doubleheader. Softball will start at 5 p.m. all three days. Before the first game against Rocktown, the Wildcats will honor their two seniors, Terry and Parker Dameron.
WILDCAT SOPHOMORE third baseman Brooke Hostetter makes a catch before William Monroe’s Malia Baugher can slide into the bag. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
RC JUNIOR Lily Thomas slides into home plate as sophomore teammate Kayleigh Rosson (holding bat) watches and WM catcher Marilyn Baird awaits the throw. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
