LOW MOOR, VA – The Rockbridge Wildcats of the Valley District came to Low Moor on Thursday evening and pulled off a 7-4 upset victory over the then unbeaten Alleghany Mountaineers.
Heading into Thursday’s baseball game, Rockbridge had been one of the hottest teams in their district having won five of their last seven games, including wins over Broadway, Turner Ashby, and James River (twice), to name just a few. Meanwhile Alleghany was chasing history for an undefeated regular season.
The game itself did not let down.
After surrendering three runs in the top half of the sixth inning, most notably on a two-run single from Brady Majors, the Mounties facing their largest deficit from the third inning on this season rallied with one swing. With runners on first and second and no outs, Chris Harden crushed a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for a game-tying three-run home run.
It was the second time in the game that Alleghany rallied in the same inning where they gave up runs. Rockbridge scored the game’s first run in the second on a Thomas Armstrong solo home run. Alleghany answered in the home half of the inning on an RBI single from Harden.
In what was a big moment of the game, Z. Majors worked his way out of a one-out jam with runners on first and second in the sixth inning just moments after the Harden three-run home run. Majors was able to get Wyatt Griffith to pop out in the infield and Anthony Webb to ground out to end the rally.
With the score tied 3-3 in the seventh, Conner McPeek, who took over for Hunter DePriest, was able to record the first two outs. Two batters later after Derek Smith singled and Cohen Paxton walked, Tucker Hopkins ripped a first pitch single to left field which brought in Smith to score the go-ahead run. One batter later B. Majors for the second time in the game had a two-run single which put Rockbridge up 7-4.
The Mounties would not rally a third time around in the bottom of the inning. With a runner on and two outs, Z. Majors was able to get Harden to pop out in left field to end the game.
The loss ended Alleghany’s 16-game winning streak. Harden led the team with a three-hit, four RBI performance at the plate. McPeek was the only other Mountie with at least two hits. McPeek was also charged with the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in the seventh.
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
RCHS 0 1 0 0 0 3 3 7 10 3
AHS 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 4 9 1
WIldcats Box Score
LINEUP AB R H RBI BB SO
Irvine, SS 3 1 2 0 1 0
Smith, 3B 4 2 2 0 0 0
Paxton, P/CF 3 2 1 0 1 2
Hopkins, 2B 4 1 1 2 0 0
Majors. LF 4 0 3 4 0 1
Armstrong, C 4 1 1 1 0 1
Potter, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 2
Lunsford, DH 2 0 0 0 1 1
Stines, CF/RF 3 0 0 0 0 1
———————————————————
TEAM 30 7 10 7 3 8
PITCHING IP H R ER BB SO
Paxton 5 9 4 4 3 4
Majors (W) 2 0 0 0 0 1
—————————————————
TEAM 7 9 4 4 3 5
Mountaineers Box Score
LINEUP AB R H RBI BB SO
Weese, SS/2B 4 0 1 0 0 1
McPeek, 2B/P 4 0 2 0 0 0
Via, LF 3 0 0 0 0 1
- Griffith, 1B 3 0 0 0 1 1
Webb, 3B/SS 4 1 1 0 0 0
DePriest, P/CF 3 0 0 0 0 1
Caldwell, DH/3B 2 1 1 0 2 1
- Griffith, RF 3 1 1 0 0 0
Harden, C 4 1 3 4 0 0
———————————————————–
TEAM 30 4 9 4 3 5
PITCHING IP H R ER BB SO
DePriest 6 7 4 3 2 7
McPeek (L) 1 3 3 3 1 1
—————————————————
TEAM 7 10 7 6 3 8
RC: Paxton, Majors (6) and Armstrong. AC: DePriest and McPeek (7) and Harden. W – Majors. L – McPeek. 2B – RC: Majors. AC: McPeek. HR – RC: Armstrong. AC: Harden. TB – RC: Armstrong 4, Majors 4, Smith 2, Irvine 2, Paxton, Hopkins. AC: Harden 6. McPeek 3, Weese, Caldwell, Webb, D. Griffith. HBP – AC: Via, DePriest. SB – AC: McPeek. CS – RC: Irvine. E – RC: Irvine 2, Majors. AC: Webb