LEXINGTON, VA – The Alleghany Mountaineers (4-0) continued with their winning ways to begin the 2023 baseball season following a 9-3 road victory over the Rockbridge County Wildcats Wednesday evening.
Halen Lowman (W) picked up his second win of the season after striking out 11 in five innings of work on the mound. Lowman surrendered just one run on four hits in the win, while walking two. Anthony Webb (1-for-3) pitched two innings of relief work for Lowman. Webb gave up two unearned runs on three hits and struck out one. Webb also had an RBI at the plate.
The offense was centered around Conner McPeek (1-for-4), Garrett Via (2-for-3), and Hunter DePriest (2-for-3), as each collected two RBI’s in the win for the Mountaineers.
The Mountaineers as a team collected 11 total hits. DePriest, Via, Wyatt Griffith (2-for-3), and Eli Weese (3-for-4), all had two hits each, while Weese led all betters with a three-hit performance. The Mountaineers finished with six extra base-hits.
Cohen Paxton (1-for-4) led the Wildcats with two RBI’s, while Derek Smith (2-for-3) had an RBI as well. Sean Martino (L) took the loss after giving up eight runs (seven) earned on nine hits in 5.2 innings.
The Mountaineers jumped on the scoreboard early on with a four-run first inning. Following Weese’s single to lead the game off, he would steal second during McPeek’s at bat, and would also reach third base on a wild pitch. McPeek would bring Weese home on a ground out to second base who threw McPeek out at first.
A few batters later, Webb hit a sacrifice fly out to put the Mountaineers up 2-0. With two outs, DePriest hit a two-run double to put the team ahead 4-0.
The Wildcats would come back with a run in the home half of the first inning on an RBI single from Smith.
With one out in the top of the second inning, Via extended the Mountaineers lead back to four runs following a sacrifice fly.
Following three straight scoreless innings, the Mountaineers would extend their lead in the top of the sixth inning following a three-run inning. Dalton Griffith (0-for-3) had an RBI in the inning on a ground out, while McPeek had an RBI double, and Via once again came through with this time coming on an RBI single.
With an 8-1 lead in the top of the seventh, the Mountaineers extended their lead to eight runs after Bricen Linkswiler scored on a wild pitch. Linkswiler pinch ran for Webb who hit a one-out double.
Trying for a two-out rally, Paxton hit a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning but was thrown out at third base as he was trying to extend his double into a triple. Credit the Mountaineers defense as Tyler Jackson (0-for-1) threw the ball from right field and hit his cutoff man Weese who threw out Paxton, while Kole Caldwell (0-for-2) made the tag to end the game.
The Mountaineers are off until this coming Tuesday where they go for the season sweep of the Riverheads Gladiators. The Mountaineers were victorious over the Gladiators at home last Friday by the final score of 15-1.
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
AHS 4 1 0 0 0 3 1 9 11 3
RHS 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 7 1
Mountaineers Box Score
Player AB R H RBI BB SO
Weese, SS 4 3 3 0 0 0
McPeek, 2B 4 1 1 2 0 0
Via, LF 3 1 2 2 0 0
W. Griffith, 1B 4 1 2 0 0 1
Meadows, 1B – – – – – –
Webb, 3B/P 3 0 1 1 0 1
Linkswiler – 1 – – – –
Caldwell, 3B 2 1 0 0 2 0
DePriest, CF 3 1 2 2 1 1
D. Griffith, RF 3 0 0 1 0 2
Jackson, RF 1 0 0 0 0 0
Harden, C 3 0 0 0 0 1
————————————————————
TEAM 30 9 11 8 3 6
PITCHING
Player IP H R ER BB SO
Lowman (W) 5 4 1 1 2 11
Webb 2 3 2 0 0 1
———————————————————
TEAM 7 7 3 1 2 12
Wildcats Box Score
Player AB R H RBI BB SO
Irvine, SS 3 2 1 0 1 1
Smith, 2B 3 1 2 1 1 0
Paxton,. CF 4 0 1 2 0 3
Hopkins, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 1
Armstrong, C 3 0 2 0 0 1
Potter, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 2
Z. Majors, 1B – – – – – –
Entsminger, DH 3 0 0 0 0 2
B. Majors, RF/P 3 0 1 0 0 0
Stines, LF 3 0 0 0 0 2
————————————————————–
TEAM 28 3 7 3 2 12
PITCHING
Player IP H R ER BB SO
Martino (L) 5.2 9 8 7 2 6
- Majors 1.1 2 1 1 1 0
————————————————————-
TEAM 7 11 9 8 3 6
