Page sending baseball and softball to Central on Tuesday for Region 2B semifinals
By Randy Arrington
BERRYVILLE, May 29 — On Friday, Page County proved there is a great deal of parity in the upper half of the Bull Run District in baseball this season. The Panthers also showed that they are not ready to hang up their cleats on the 2026 season.
“It was a three-way tie for second place…in the district …between us, Central and Luray,” PCHS head coach Joey Hilliard said on Friday. “Through the season, we split with Central, we split with Luray and we split with [Clarke], but we got ’em here in region.”
As the No. 6 seed in the Region 2B tournament with a record of 10-11, Page County upset No. 3 Clarke County, 7-5, during Friday’s quarterfinal round at Singhas Field in Berryville. The game proved to be evenly matched, with both teams committing three errors in the field and the count being close to even on hits and runners left on base. However, Page put together a big inning in the sixth to seal a trip to Tuesday’s Region 2B semifinal at No. 2 Central.
“I think it was a very evenly matched game. The only thing, we gave them four runs early and then we settled down and made them earn what they got,” Coach Hilliard said after Friday’s win. “We’re starting to show a lot of fight and grit. It took us the last six, seven games…we’re on a roall right now, and it’s the right time to get on a roll.”
The season started out at 0-3 in non-district action and the Panthers would go on to drop nine of its first 13 games. However, Page finished the season winning six of its last eight, including the first round of the playoffs.
In Friday’s region quarterfinal, the Panthers once again leaned on John Leake to carry the load on the hill. The junior went the distance and got the win, allowing three earned runs off eight hits. The right-hander struck out four and walked four.
“John Leake is my work horse…I can count on him going the limit on pitches and I can trust him throwing strikes,” Coach Hilliard said. “He’s going to make the team hit the ball, and that’s what we want…make them earn it. He’s been a warrior for us all year, and that’s nothing new — I expect that from him.”
Clarke County went up 4-0 early after picking up two runs in both the first and third innings. Senior Trenton Fox hit a two-run double in the first, while two unearned runs scored off a passed ball and an errant throw in the fourth. Fox finished the day with a perfect 3-for-3 effort at the plate, recording a double, two singles and two RBI.
Page County senior Isaac Foltz beat out an infield single to push a run across for the Panthers in the fourth, and they added two more in the fifth when freshman Collin Murphy looped a two-RBI single up the middle. It was 4-3 in favor of Clarke heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Big Brady MacDonald belted a solo home run off the pine trees beyond the left field fence to give the Eagles their final run and a 5-3 lead heading into the sixth. But Page would answer back with its biggest inning of the night, scoring four runs in the sixth off a two-RBI single from Murphy, an errant throw, and an RBI-single by clean up hitter Braylon Brooks that would cap-off the 7-5 win.
Page County was lead by Murphy, as the freshman phenom went 2-for-3 with a double, a single and four RBI. Sophomore Gavin Henry also got multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. The Panthers had a total of nine hits and left nine runners stranded on base, compared to eight hits and seven stranded runners for the Eagles.
Proving it takes a full team effort in the playoffs, it was sophomore Brayden Morrison — the ninth hitter in the lineup — who got things going for the Panthers in the fifth with a deep double to the outfield.
“Brayden, we’ve been working hard with him bunting…he can fly. If he doesn’t bunt it to the pitcher and just gets it into the infield, he’s going to be safe most of the time,” Coach Hilliard said. “He drove that one into right-center…a similar situation I would have probably brought him to third, but at that time I think we were down one…so we held him a little bit, but he’s getting hot at the right time, and he’s a sophomore…we’re pretty young.”
Ten of the players listed on the Panthers’ 18-man roster are either freshmen or sophomores. Only three are seniors, and one of those seniors — Caden Combs — might just be the best multi-sport athlete to come through PCHS in several years.
That’s why many in Carolina blue cringed on Friday when the game ended with a tag out at first, catching the runner off guard…with two Panthers on base, and Combs at the plate.
“They call him the ‘Panther God’ ’cause he’s been up since he was a freshman and he’s going to be a hard one to replace,” Coach Hilliard said of Combs. “That’s what made that last out so tough, and I was really getting on my runner at second base right there because I want my senior to hit…he’s going to put the ball in play, and when he hits, good things happen.”
Combs will get another chance at the plate before hanging up his cleats, as the Panthers head to Central on Tuesday, June 2 for a region semifinal at 6 p.m. The other Region 2B semifinal features No. 1 Strasburg (18-3) hosting Fort Defiance. Fort beat Stuarts Draft in a region quarterfinal. The two top seeds — Strasburg and Central — had first round byes.
Region 2B Softball
The fourth-seeded Page County softball team will also be heading to Woodstock to take on the No. 1 Falcons of Central (16-4) in a Region 2B semifinal scheduled for 6 p.m on Tuesday, June 2. The Panthers (14-6) defeated No. 5 Fort Defiance, 9-4, at home in a region quarterfinal on Thursday, May 28. Tuesday’s other Region 2B semifinal will feature No. 3 Strasburg (16-5) traveling to No. 2 Stuarts Draft (16-4). Both Class 2 Draft and Class 1 Buffalo Gap (17-3) were dominant teams in softball out of the Shenandoah District.
For schedules, rosters and results, check the Bull Run District website.
Region 1B Playoffs
Luray High School has three teams left in the postseason hunt, and all three will be playing on Tuesday, June 2 in the Region 1B semifinals for their respective sport.
• BASEBALL — The No. 3 Bulldogs defeated the sixth-seeded Bison of Buffalo Gap in last week’s region quarterfinal. Now, Luray (10-9) will host No. 7 William Campbell —who upset No. 2 Surry in the quarterfinals — at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2 at Bulldog Field. The other Region 1B baseball semifinal features No. 1 Riverheads (17-4) hosting the fourth seed, Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy. The Region 1B championship will be held at the higher seed on Thursday, June 4.
• SOFTBALL — No. 5 Luray upset No. 4 Surry on the road at the end of the last week to advance to the semifinal round. Now the Bulldogs (9-10) will travel to No. 1 Buffalo Gap (17-3) on Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. start in Swoope. The other region semifinal features No. 3 Riverheads at No. 2 William Campbell. The Region 1B championship will be held at the higher seed on Thursday, June 4.
• BOYS SOCCER — From the sixth seed, Luray upset No. 3 Franklin on the road at the end of last week to advance to the Region 1B semifinals on Tuesday. The Bulldogs (4-11-1) will travel to Richard Bland College to face second-seeded Appomattox Regional Governor’s School. The other region semifinal features No.4 Surry at No. 1 Altavista. The Region 1B championship will be held at the higher seed on Thursday, June 4.
For the final Region 1B rankings, CLICK HERE.
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