By Randy Arrington
SHENANDOAH, April 21 — Page County picked up an important win on Friday. Not only did the 2-0 victory over Strasburg help the Panthers rebound from its only district loss of the season on Tuesday, 7-1, to East Rockingham, but it also pushed the Panthers over the Rams to take control of third place in the Bull Run District.
Junior right-hander Bailee Gaskins hurled a great game, allowing only one hit in a complete game shutout, while striking out 11 and only walking two. Gaskins was only one error, one hit and two walks away from a perfect game.
At the plate, the Panthers were lead by senior first baseman Jocelyne Rinker. The D-I Radford commit went 2-for-3 with a single, a double and one RBI. Rinker also made some tough plays at first on the defensive side. Junior Arianna Roudabush picked up the Panthers’ other hit, going 1-for-3 with a single.
Rinker sparked Page’s first run in the bottom of the first, as the senior’s double to left field drove in Roudabush, who reached on an error. That marked the only run scored in the game until the fifth inning.
Through four innings, Gaskins retired 12 of 14 batters she faced — one reached by an error, and one by a walk. Then the lead-off batter in the fifth for Strasburg broke up the no-hitter. The Rams would end up stranding four runners on base, with one reaching third in both the first and fifth innings.
Page stranded five runners of their own, and scored their second run in the bottom of the fifth on a passed ball. The Panthers missed several opportunities to add to their lead, including the sixth inning that ended with two runners in scoring position.
The 2-0 victory on Friday was the second win-in-a-row for Page, following a 7-4 non-district win at Stuarts Draft on Thursday. The pair of wins breaks up a two-game losing streak and a stretch where the Panthers only won one of four games. That rough patch followed a 6-0 opening to the 2023 season.
With the win, Page County moves to 8-3 overall and 5-1 in the Bull Run. While Page is technically in third place in the district, both first-place East Rockingham (7-1) and second-place Clarke (6-1) also have only one loss in the district. With eight games left in the regular season, it should be a race to the finish among the district’s top four teams.
Two big games for Page during the final four weeks will be a 5 p.m. road game at Clarke on Thursday, May 4 and the regular season finale at home against East Rock at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 19. Up next for the Panthers is a home game against Rappahannock at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 24, before two road games next week at Madison and Mt. View on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
With the loss, Strasburg drops to 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the district. The Rams flip-flop with Page from third to fourth place in the district. Prior to the loss, Strasburg had won two in-a-row after falling 5-3 to Clarke on April 11. Up next, the Rams host East Rockingham (7-1, 9-3) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25.
Strasburg 12, Page 4
SHENANDOAH, April 21 — Page County’s baseball team suffered a six-run, fifth-inning surge by Strasburg in a 12-4 district loss at home on Friday. The Panthers also endured a tough, 5-4, loss at East Rockingham on Tuesday and are currently in the midst of a slump that has seen Page win only one of its last six games.
Junior Jordan Foster lead Page at the plate on Friday with a 2-for-3 effort, including one run scored and an RBI. Three other Panthers collected a hit and went 1-for-3, including sophomore Tyler Monger who belted a home run.
On the day, Page earned its four runs through five hits and five Ram errors. The Panthers stranded four runners during the game. The Rams got its 12 runs on six hits and three Panther errors, while stranding six.
With the loss, the Panthers drop to 5-7 overall and even out at 4-4 in the Bull Run. Next up, Page travels to Rappahannock for a 7 p.m. district matchup on Monday, April 24.
With the win, Strasburg improves to 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the district. Friday marked only the Rams’ second win in its last seven games. Next up, the Rams host East Rockingham (9-0, 11-1) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25.
For full schedules, rosters and standings — check out the Bull Run District website.
•••
RELATED ARTICLES
Panthers drop hard-fought, 1-0, non-district matchup with Class 3 Turner Ashby
Be the first to comment