TEAM

3

           The first place Mountaineers came to Lexington to play the Wildcats, and the Cats were looking to avenge the last minute win Alleghany pulled out of their hat when Rockbridge visited them in April.
Scott Branch started on the mound on a cool and cloudy evening.  After giving up a lead off single to Tyler Fridley, who then stole 2B, Branch struck out Albert Tuono.  Fridley scored when the next batter hit a slow grounder picked up by Joe Vita behind the mound.  Vita made a low throw to Branch who raced to cover 1B and the runner was safe.  Derrick Cantrell, drove a 2-1 pitch over the center field wall to bring in 2 more runs. The next batter put the first pitch delivered to him over the left field wall.  After the following batter doubled, the third out was delivered on a pop up to catcher Will Herndon at the fence behind the plate.  Then next batter flied out to Brandon Zollman in center field.  The Cats were down 4-0.
Alleghany had their ace, Mike Bartley, on the mound and Rockbridge went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first.
With one out in the top of the second, Fridley singled, Tuono walked and Unrue doubled to drive in Fridley.  
With the score 5-0, Joe Vita was brought in from 2B to pitch as it started to rain.  A ground ball single up the middle to Cantrell drove in the two runners already on base.  The next batter drew a walk.  After  Nick Lomasney popped out to Jonathan Wilson at shortstop, the next batter drove a 3-2 pitch over the right field fence near the foul line to bring in 3 runs.
The Cats scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the third when Wilson singled, Herndon chopped a ball off the second baseman's glove and a wild pitch brought Wilson home.
Vita retired the Mountaineers in order in the third.  The Cats threatened in the bottom of the inning when Zollman got on base on a walk but was thrown out trying to steal 2B before Nick Ramsey singled.  
Alleghany failed to score in the fourth as Vita retired 3 out of 4 batters on a popup to Wilson at short, a grounder to Finley Waddell at 3B, and fly ball to Zollman in CF. 
The Cats went down 1-2-3 in the 4th and 5th innings. Alleghany did the same in the top half of the 5th. 
Zollman came in to pitch the 6th and 7th innings and gave up 2 hits, 2 walks and no runs.  So, the Cats' relievers kept Alleghany from scoring from the 3rd inning.
Down 10-1, Rockbridge made a run in the bottom of the seventh on new pitcher, Albert Tuono.  Casey Saunders led off with a hard single up the middle and Wilson drew a walk.  Herndon drove in Saunders as he hit a grounder to 1B and the first baseman threw wild to 2B in an attempt to make a double play.  With one out, Kevin Burant singled and drove in Wilson.  A triple to the gap in RCF by Zollman drove in  home Herndon and Burant.  A wild pitch brought in Zollman for the Cats' 5th run the inning. Branch walked and Josh Kibler followed with a single to short RF but the rally ended there. Final score 10-6.