Both the Rockbridge County High School baseball and softball teams completed sweeps of the season series with local rival Parry McCluer with five-inning victories on Tuesday evening in Buena Vista. The RC baseball team (4-6) pulled away from a close game to win 25-9 over the Fighting Blues (2-8), while the RC softball team (7-2) coasted to a 22-0 victory over PM (3-7).
On the baseball field, the Wildcats faced a much tougher battle early on than in their 27-1 home win over PM on March 26.
In the rematch, RC led 4-1 in the second innings, but PM scored four runs in the bottom of the second to take a 5-4 lead. The Wildcats then responded with three runs in the third and four runs in the fourth to go up 11-5. RC then had a monster fifth innings, erupting for 14 runs, to pull away. PM scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth before the Wildcats ended the game with strong fielding and a strikeout thrown by Austin Moyers.
The Wildcats racked up 14 hits, while the Blues had four. Leading RC with two hits each were Trevor Hoke, Rocky Perlozzo, Austyn Gannutz and Bradi Ziegler. Gannutz hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning. Recording one hit each for the Blues were Colby Camden, Curtis King, Lane Luckton and Kyler Ramsey.
RC’s pitchers were Eli Sorrells, Ziegler and Moyers, while PM used five pitchers.
The Blues committed eight errors, while the Wildcats had two.
On the softball field, the game was similar to the previous showdown between the two teams, when the Wildcats beat the Blues 17-0 on March 26 in Lexington.
In Tuesday’s game, RC senior pitcher Sadie Moore held PM to just one hit, a double in the fifth by Patience Hill, while striking out nine and allowing no walks in the shutout.
At the plate, Moore led the Wildcats with five hits and six RBIs, and RC racked up 24 hits. Brooke Hostetter and Gracie Pelter each recorded four hits for the Wildcats, while Kayleigh Rosson had three hits. Contributing two hits each were Page Wright, Willow Rogers and Landrey Campbell.
The Wildcats spread their runs throughout the five innings, and their best inning was the second, when they scored eight runs.
Freshman Caroline Watts pitched four PM, striking out three while allowing six walks. Only one of the Wildcats’ runs was unearned.
PM committed one error, while RC had none.
The PM baseball and softball teams will return to Pioneer District action at Eastern Montgomery on Thursday at 5 p.m. The RC baseball and softball teams will get back to Shenandoah District action on Friday when they play host to Alleghany at 5:30 p.m.
For the stories on this week’s action, with photos from Tuesday’s games, please see our April 29 newspaper. The stories and photos from last week’s games will be in this Wednesday’s newspaper.
