RCHS rallies past Western Alamance, 8-4

Staff Report
ELON – After a marathon 10-inning loss at Greensboro Dudley last Friday night, Rock-ingham County rebounded in Triad 3-A Conference baseball action, but needed a sev-enth-inning rally to win at Western Alamance.
The Cougars, who lost 4-3 at Dudley on Friday, scored four times in the top of the sev-enth inning and rallied for an 8-4 win over the host Warriors.
With the win, RCHS improved to 8-2 in the conference and 12-4 overall. The loss dropped Western to 4-4 in conference games.
Three errors in the top of the seventh inning, two on a single by Jordan Puckett did in the home team.
Tyler Burchett, who got the win for the Cougars in six innings of work, doubled to right field. Justin Davis, who scored twice, was inserted as a pinch runner. Josh Munson bunted Davis over to third and Bryan Mitchell reached on a throwing error, but on the play Davis was cut down at home.
The play did not ruin Rockingham’s late-game rally. With two outs, Cody Westmoreland walked and Adam Johnson’s single scored Mitchell for a 5-4 RCHS lead. Puckett then singled to center field and two errors brought home Westmoreland, Johnson and Puckett.
Ethan Ellington pitched a scoreless seventh inning and struck out one.
Burchett, who struck out two and allowed two earned runs (4 runs), had three hits and is now 8 for his last 9 (.889).
Westmoreland and Puckett each had two hits and Johnson had one hit.
The Cougars return to action tonight at home against Martinsville (5 p.m.). RCHS also host Bartlett Yancey (7 p.m.) on Friday night.
B-Yancey is one of the two Triad losses on Rockingham’s ledger.
“We can’t afford to slip up,” said RCHS coach Chris Loye. “We kinda backed ourselves into a corner with that loss Friday at Dudley.”