The Shadow
BUCHANAN, VA – For the second time during the 2023 season, the James River Lady Knights got the best of the Alleghany Lady Mountaineers following an 8-1 victory on Thursday in Buchanan.
The Knights were backed by a dominant performance in the circle from Austyn Moran who tossed a complete-game victory as she gave up one just one unearned run on seven hits, while striking out eight across her seven innings.
Moran grabbed run-support early which helped her attack the Mounties lineup as she threw over 70% for strikes. Her run support started in the second inning when Ripley Barry provided the Knights with an RBI double. After getting their second run on a ground out, Jenna Pugh ripped the team’s second double of the inning which scored the Knights third run.
In the fourth inning the Knights would add another run and in the fifth they would take a commanding 8-0 lead with a four-run inning. Pugh led the team in hits and RBI’s with three each. including an RBI double in the fourth and an RBI single in the fifth. Sydney Breeding, Cloey Joynes, and Kiera Crawford each added RBI’s.
After watching the Radford Bobcats struggle to get that big hit in the team’s previous game in which they beat the Bobcats 11-3, the team searched for their moment as well despite collecting seven hits and getting the runners on base. Abbie Fridley, Savannah Cash, and Kaylee Nicely each had two hits in three at-bats. Fridley drove in the team’s only run in the sixth inning on an RBI single.
The bottom of the lineup bats for the Mounties went cold as the 6-9 batters went a combined 0-for-12 at the plate and struck out six times. Cash suffered the loss after giving up eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits in 4.1 innings in the circle. Cash also walked one, and struck out one. Following her complete-game victory on Tuesday, Kendell Keene relieved Cash in the fifth innings and tossed 1.2 scoreless innings where she gave up a hit, one walk, and struck out two.
The Knights swept the regular season with the Mounties. Back on April 25th the Knight won in Low Moor 17-5. The 12 runs loss matched a season-high for the Mounties who had lost 16-4 at home to Riverheads on March 17th.
The Mounties had a four-game winning streak entering Thursday evening. They will look to get back in the win column on Monday when the team hosts Floyd County at 5:00 p.m. in Low Moor.
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
AHS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 7 2
JRHS 0 3 0 1 4 0 X 8 12 0
Mounties Box Score
Player AB R H RBI BB SO
Leitch, CF 3 0 0 0 0 1
Kay. Nicely, C 3 0 2 0 0 0
Cash, P/SS 3 0 2 0 0 1
Kels. Nicely, 3B 3 0 1 0 0 0
Fridley, 1B 3 0 2 1 0 0
Middelton, LF 3 0 0 0 0 2
Keene, SS/P 3 0 0 0 0 1
Rice, RF 2 0 0 0 0 1
Skidmore, RF 1 1 0 0 0 1
Kai. Nicely, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 1
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TEAM 27 1 7 1 0 8
PITCHING
Player IP H R ER BB SO
Cash (L) 4.1 11 8 7 1 1
Keene 1.2 1 0 0 1 2
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TEAM 6 12 8 7 2 3
Knights Box Score
Player AB R H RBI BB SO
Pugh, CF 4 0 3 3 0 0
McCullough, SS 3 0 0 1 1 0
Lackey, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0
Petty 1 0 0 0 0 0
Moran, P 3 0 1 0 0 0
Downey 1 1 0 0 0 1
Kincaid, C 3 1 2 0 0 0
Wilson, C 1 1 0 0 0 1
Barry, LF 4 1 1 1 0 0
Breeding, 1B 4 2 2 1 0 0
Joynes, 3B 3 2 2 1 0 1
Crawford, RF 2 0 1 1 1 0
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TEAM 32 8 12 8 2 3
PITCHING
Player IP H R ER BB SO
Moran (W) 7 7 1 0 0 8
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TEAM 7 7 1 0 0 8
