RADFORD, VA – For the second straight night, the Alleghany Mountaineers were upset on the baseball diamond.
After a 16-0 start to their season, the Mounties have now dropped two in a row following their 7-6 eight-inning Three Rivers District loss to the Radford Bobcats.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, with runners on first and second base, and two outs, Mason Murphy ripped a game-winning, walk-off RBI single to right field.
The Mounties who overcame a four-run deficit after allowing a season-high four runs in the bottom of the first had taken a short-lived one run lead in the top of of fourth inning as the team scored three runs on RBIs from Garrett Via, Kole Caldwell, and Dalton Griffith.
Now trailing for the first time, Radford would answer and counter the Mounties in the home half of the fourth inning as Matthew Lester delivered a game-tying RBI single. Murphy who had the game-winning hit, followed M. Lester with a go-ahead RBI single that put the Bobcats back ahead at 6-5.
For the second time in the game, Alleghany rallied and tied the game. Anthony Webb’s sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning brought in Conner McPeek to score. McPeek had led the inning off with a single.
Suffering his first loss of the season was Alleghany’s lefty-ace Halen Lowman. Lowman made his first relief appearance of the season after relieving Webb who started on the mound. In 2.2 relief innings, Lowman allowed one run on three hits, while walking three, and striking out one. In a no-decision, Webb gave up six runs on eight hits in five innings. Webb also walked two and struck out three.
As a team Alleghany struck out 10 times which was just their third time in 18 games where they struck out 10 or more times as a team. The team also left 10 runners on base in the loss. Caldwell was the only Mountie to have a multi-hit day at the plate, while Chris Harden led the team with two RBI’s.
Alleghany who finished the regular season 16-2 overall and 9-1 in the district, will begin the next phase of their season this Friday when the host a quarter-final baseball game in the Class 2, Region C Tournament.
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
AHS 0 0 2 3 1 0 0 0 6 6 2
RHS 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 7 11 1
Mounties Box Score
LINEUP AB R H RBI BB SO
Weese, SS 2 1 0 0 2 1
Harden, C 5 0 1 2 0 2
McPeek, 2B 3 1 1 0 1 2
DePriest, CF 4 0 0 0 0 2
W. Griffith, 1B 3 1 1 0 1 1
Webb, P/3B 2 0 0 1 1 0
Via, LF 3 1 1 1 1 1
D. Griffith, RF 1 0 0 1 0 0
Lowman, P 0 0 0 0 0 0
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TEAM 27 6 6 6 6 10
PITCHING IP H R ER BB SO
Webb (ND) 5 8 6 6 2 3
Lowman (L) 2.2 3 1 1 3 1
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TEAM 7.2 11 7 7 5 4
Bobcats Box Score
LINEUP AB R H RBI BB SO
Raccuia, SS 4 3 2 0 0 0
T. Lester, CF 4 1 2 0 0 0
M. Lester, 1B 4 2 2 4 1 0
Murphy, P/3B 3 0 2 2 1 0
B. Farmer, RF 4 0 1 0 0 1
Hancock, P 2 0 0 0 0 0
Gallimore, C 3 0 1 0 0 2
Pyne 1 0 0 0 0 0
Joyce, LF 4 0 1 1 0 0
B. Farmer, DH 2 0 0 0 2 0
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TEAM 32 7 11 7 5 4
PITCHING IP H R ER BB SO
Murphy 4.1 5 6 4 3 6
Hancock 2.2 1 0 0 3 2
Wionski 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ray (W) 1 0 0 0 0 2
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TEAM 8 6 6 4 6 10
Webb, Lowman (6), and Harden. Murphy, Hancock (5), Wionski (7), Ray (8), and Gallimore. W – Ray. L – Lowman. HR – RH: M. Lester. TB – AH: Caldwell 2, Harden, W. Griffith, Via, McPeek. RH: M. Lester 5, Murphy 2, T. Lester 2, Raccuia 2, Gallimore, Joyce, B. Farmer. SF – AH: Webb, Griffith. SB – AH: McPeek 2, Harden, Weese. CS – AH: Caldwell. RH: Joyce. E – AH: Webb, D. Griffith. RH: Radford. HBP – RH: Murphy, Raccuia.