The Glenvar girls played a home-and-home series with James River in the past week, and lost both despite showing much improvement the second time around.

Last Wednesday at Glenvar the Highlanders dropped a 22-1 decision to the Knights in Glenvar’s worst defeat in many years. Glenvar sent three pitchers to the mound but no one had much success. River scored 11 runs in the first inning.

On Tuesday of this week the Highlanders returned the trip to Buchanan and had the Knights on the ropes before falling 5-4. This time Glenvar took an early lead in the first inning when Olivia Adams doubled and Lydia Taylor hit a home run to put Glenvar ahead 2-0.

James River responded in the third inning with two runs of their own, evening the score 2-2.  In the sixth inning Taylor hit her second home run of the night and McKenna Jarvis followed with a home run to give Glenvar a 4-2 lead.

That lead held up into the bottom of the seventh. McKenna Shearer, who pitched a strong six innings, walked the bases loaded to open the seventh and coach Lonnie Raines brought Katherine Ward in to pitch. The next batter singled to cut the lead to 4-3 but Ward got a pop up for the first out. Then a potential game-ending doubleplay grounder turned into a two-run error on an overthrow, and that was the ballgame.

“It was disappointing but it was much better than last week’s game,” said Raines.

Glenvar also played Carroll County and Hidden Valley last week. Carroll, a Class 4 team two rungs above Glenvar’s classification, beat the Highlanders 11-4 at GHS Friday. Adams had a three run homer for the Highlanders.

The Highlanders bounced back with a 2-1 win over Class 3 Hidden Valley on Monday at home. This game was a pitchers’ dual, as it pitted Hidden Valley senior pitcher Julia Nelson against Glenvar freshman McKenna Shearer.

Hidden Valley scored in the first inning on an unearned run but Glenvar answered in the second inning with Lydia Taylor being walked, followed by a hit by Adams and a fielder’s choice from Maddie Martinez.

The score stayed deadlocked at 1-1 until the 7th inning.  In the top of the seventh Shearer struck out the first batter, then Nina Cummings hit a triple with only one out.  Bailey Parker hit a fly ball to right field, but the runner did not tag up, forcing her to go back to third.  With two outs, Nelson hit a ball to Olivia Adams at first base who fielded the ball and tagged first for the third out.

In the bottom of the seventh Adams hit a leadoff double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Shearer. Martinez then laid down a bunt and Adams slid home after a rundown for the walk-off win.

McKenna Shearer picked up her first varsity win, recording 10 strike outs on the night while only walking two batters.

Now 7-7, the Highlanders were at Staunton River on Wednesday and they’ll go to Alleghany on Friday.