The Rockbridge County High School baseball team concluded a challenging season with a pair of Shenandoah District losses, falling 19-11 at home against Fort Defiance on Tuesday of last week before coming up short 2-1 in a lightning-shortened game at Alleghany last Wednesday.
The Wildcats ended the year with an overall record of 4-16, going 2-14 in the district. RC lost its last 10 games of the season.
Against Fort Defiance, which improved to 6-12 overall and 6-9 in the district, the Wildcats saw their 5-1 lead slip away when the Indians scored six runs in the fifth inning and erupted for 11 runs in the sixth.
Fort took a 1-0 lead in the first when Garrett Simmons doubled on a grounder to right field to drive in Tripp Hanger. The Wildcats tied the game at 1-1 in the second when Tyler Woods singled to right field to bring home Hendrick Colvin.
RC’s offense picked up in the third. Rocky Perlozzo scored on an error, and Colvin singled to right field to drive in Brady Majors. A single by Price Lunsford on a hard grounder to left field brought home Colvin to extend the Wildcats’ lead to 5-1.
Fort answered in the top of the fifth, scoring on a single, an error and a groundout and adding three runs on walks when the bases were loaded. The six-run inning gave Fort a 7-5 lead.
The Wildcats battled back when Colvin scored on an error in the bottom of the fifth, and RC tied the game at 7-7 when Woods doubled to center field to bring home Eli Sorrells.
Fort then took over in the top of the sixth, scoring 11 runs on two singles, two doubles, a balk and two walks to go up 18-7.
The Wildcats scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Fort scored a run on an RC error in the top of the seventh. RC’s last run came when Trevor Hoke stole home in the bottom of the seventh, but Fort ended the game with a catch at second base.
The Indians recorded 12 hits, while the Wildcats had 10. Leading Fort with two hits each were Simmons, Carter Berry and Hunter Hamer. Bradi Ziegler paced the Wildcats with three hits, while Brady Majors led RC with three RBIs.
Each team went through four pitchers, and RC and Fort each committed four errors.
Starting on the mound for RC was Majors, who pitched the first 4.1 innings, striking out one while allowing five hits, five walks and seven runs (four earned). Also pitching for the Wildcats were Hoke, Austin Moyers and Chase Potter, making his first varsity pitching appearance. Potter pitched the final 1.1 innings, striking out one while allowing three hits, no walks and three runs (two earned).
Before the game, the Wildcats honored their five seniors: Hoke, Lunsford, Majors, Moyers and Woods.
Alleghany 2, RC 1
The Wildcats wrapped up the season with a 2-1 road loss to Alleghany (16-4 overall, 12-3 in district) last Wednesday in Covington.
Alleghany scored both of its runs in the bottom of the first inning when Trey Cook singled on a grounder to center field to bring home Jalen Raether and Graham Brewster.
RC answered in the top of the second when Colvin singled on a fly ball to right field to bring home Sorrells.
Neither team scored for the rest of the game, which ended in the top of the sixth due to lightning.
Alleghany recorded nine hits, while RC had five. Cook led the Cougars with three hits, while Reather and Kai Rowland each had two. Recording one hit each for the Wildcats were Perlozzo, Ziegler, Sorrells, Colvin and Moyers.
The Cougars committed one error, while the Wildcats had none.
On the mound, Rowland earned the win for Alleghany. Pitching five innings, Rowland struck out four while allowing five hits, one walk and an earned run.
Elijah Watkins pitched five innings for the Wildcats, striking out two while surrendering nine hits, three walks and two earned runs.
It was the end of a rebuilding year for the Wildcats, whose lone district wins were against Staunton and Stuarts Draft. The Wildcats defeated local rival Parry McCluer twice.
