’Cats’ Skid Reaches Eight

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The Rockbridge County High School baseball team lost a pair of close Shenandoah District games last week, falling 7-4 at home against Wilson Memorial last Tuesday before coming up short 6-3 at Riverheads on Thursday.

With the setbacks, the Wildcats fell to 4-14 overall and 2-12 in the district, ending the week on an eight-game losing streak.

RC had also challenged WM (15-3 overall, 12-1 district) in their meeting in Fishersville on March 30, when the Green Hornets won 8-5.

“To play the second-ranked team in the region that well, I’m pleased,” said RC head coach Travis Roadcap. “We are right there.”

The Hornets took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Nolan Deaver scored on an error, but the Wildcats answered back. In the bottom of the first, RC’s Austyn Gannutz singled on a hard grounder to bring home Trevor Hoke, and Rocky Perlozzo scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Brady Majors, giving the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.

WM responded with three runs on the third, on a balk, a single and a fielder’s choice to take a 4-2 lead.

RC kept battling, cutting the lead to 4-3 in the fourth when Perlozzo singled on a grounder to left field to drive in Elijah Watkins. With the bases loaded, the Wildcats tied the game at 4-4 when Gannutz walked to bring home Chase Potter.

The Hornets broke the tie and scored the final three runs of the game on three singles in the fifth.

WM racked up 13 hits, while RC had eight. Juan-Michael Aguirre led the Hornets with three hits. Christian Brewer, Jacob Mc-Whorter and Isaac Rodgers added three hits each. Perlozzo and Watkins paced the Wildcats with two hits each.

“We had really good at-bats,” said Roadcap.

On the mound for WM, Mc-Worther pitched the first 3.2 innings, striking out three while allowing five hits, three walks and four runs (two earned). In the final 3.1 innings, Cole Kindig struck out three while surrendering three hits, two walks and no runs.

For RC, Henrick Colvin pitched the first 4.2 innings, striking out three while allowing nine hits, four walks and seven runs (six earned). In the final 2.1 innings, Bradi Ziegler surrendered four hits, four walks and no runs.

RC and WM each committed two errors.

Riverheads 6, RC 3

Riverheads dealt the visiting Wildcats a 6-3 loss on Thursday.

The Gladiators (15-3, 11-3), who had beaten RC 9-5 on April 14 in Lexington, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second in the rematch when Ethan Mulcahy scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Jackson Berkstresser. In the third, Brody Phillips gave Riverheads a 2-0 lead by scoring on an error. The Gladiators made it 3-0 in the fifth when Phillips scored on a fielder’s choice. Riverheads scored two more runs on a double by Phillips in the sixth, and the Gladiators added another run to make it 6-0.

RC scored all three of its runs in the seventh. Price Lunsford doubled to center field to bring home Gannutz and Colvin, and Eli Sorrells scored on a single by Trevor Hoke on a hard grounder to shortstop.

Rivherheads recorded seven hits, while RC had six. Phillips led the Gladiators with four hits and two RBIs, while Holden Fitzgerald had two hits. Perlozzo paced the Wildcats with two hits.

Cason Croft pitched nearly the entire game for Riverheads, striking out 10 while allowing five hits, one walk and three runs. Phillips came in to throw a strikeout for the final out, surrendering one hit, no walks and no runs.

For the Wildcats, Watkins pitched the first 5.2 innings, striking out three while allowing six hits, two walks and five runs (one earned). Austin Moyers came to the mound for the final out, giving up one hit, no walks and no runs.

The Wildcats committed three errors, while the Hornets had two.

RC was scheduled to play at Rocktown on Monday of last week, but that game was canceled due to rain. The Wildcats were scheduled to play host to Fort Defiance yesterday and will conclude the regular season today, Wednesday, when they play at Alleghany at 6 p.m.