RC Hammers PM, 25-9 Wildcats Complete Sweep With 14-Run Fifth
Pulling away from a close game, the Rockbridge County High School baseball team earned a 25-9 win in five innings on Tuesday of last week at Parry McCluer to complete a sweep of the season series.
The Wildcats (4-7) faced a much tougher battle early on than in their 27-1 home win over the Fighting Blues (2-9) on March 26 in Lexington.
In the rematch between the two local rivals, RC jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first two innings. The Wildcats scored their first run when Rocky Perlozzo doubled to bring home Trevor Hoke, and RC went up 2-0 when Perlozzo scored on an error.
In the bottom of the first, Colby Camden walked and then advanced to second base on an error before moving to third on a groundout. Camden then scored on a wild pitch to cut RC’s lead to 2-1.
The Wildcats extended their lead to 4-1 in the top of the second when Austyn Gannutz doubled on a hard grounder to left field, driving in Hoke and Chase Potter.
PM answered back by scoring four runs in the bottom of the second to take a 5-4 lead. Camden singled on a line drive to left field to bring home Eduar Meza. The Blues then loaded the bases when Curtis King walked, and Lane Luckton walked to bring home Kyle Smals, cutting RC’s lead to 4-3. Kyler Ramsey then singled on a grounder to second base to drive in Camden and King, giving the Blues the lead.
The Wildcats responded three runs in the third, on an error and a sacrifice fly, 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. “We’re swinging it well,” said RC head coach Travis Roadcap.
The RC coach added that his players “ran the bases very well. I was very pleased with that and the dirt ball reads.”
Leading RC with two hits each were Hoke, Perlozzo, Gannutz and Bradi Ziegler. Gannutz, who led the Wildcats with six RBIs, hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning, his third home run of the season.
Roadcap said Gannutz “continues to be lights out.” Roadcap said Gannutz also played well at catcher. “The kid’s legit.”
Another bright spot for the Wildcats was senior Price Lunsford, who had his first at-bat in two years and went 1-for-2, stealing a base, batting in a run, and scoring a run.
Recording one hit each for the Blues were Camden, King, Luckton and 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.
“We’ve got to field a little bit better,” said Roadcap.
Reviewing his team’s performance, PM head coach Bryan Loy said the young Blues’ pitching has been enough to keep them in games, and they’re scoring enough to win. “We’re improving,” he said. “We’re trying to get better each day. We’re scoring runs. We’ve just got to make plays in the field.”
“We’re never gonna give up,” added Loy. “We’re gonna keep fighting. We had the bases loaded at the end of the game. Our guys are not gonna quit.”
Acknowledging the progress by the Blues, Roadcap said, “Credit to Parry McCluer. They’re getting a lot better.”
ABOVE, PM freshman second baseman Eduar Meza leaps to try to catch the ball while RC junior Rocky Perlozzo gets ready to slide into the base and PM freshman Dylan Smals (right) watches. Perlozzo had two hits and an RBI. AT LEFT, RC junior first baseman Elijah Watkins tries to tag out PM senior Sam Griffin as RC junior third baseman Bradi Ziegler watches. (Ronnie Coffey photos)
PMSOPHOMOREColbyCamdenpitches.In1.1innings, Camden struck out one while allowing two hits, two walks and five runs (two earned). (Ronnie Coffey photo)
