By Stephen Smoot
Last week, Wildcat softball hit the meat of the season. Partly due to early season rescheduling, Pendleton County played nine games against seven different opponents in six days. The marathon series of contests saddled the team with their first three losses.
But the team avenged its initial two setbacks.
Monday, the Wildcats (as described elsewhere) powered their way through Pocahontas County, using five home runs to post 17 runs.
Tuesday: Pendleton County 12 Tucker County 3
Tucker County has roared like the Mountain Lions they are in most sports this year, but when they hosted Pendleton County in Parsons last week, they mewed like kittens. Baylee Beachler and Sarah Vincell each pitched three innings, holding Tucker County to six hits while striking out a total of seven.
Beachler opened action in the first, coming up with Jenna Smith on third, originally getting on base via a single to center. Beachler drove a home run to center to set the score at 2-0.
In the top of the second, Lizzie Alt doubled, followed by a Vincell walk and Nataley Hedrick entering as a courtesy runner. Ally Vance knocked a two ball and two strike pitch to short, scoring Alt.
In the next at bat with Julia Mongold at the plate, Hedrick and Vance executed a double steal, but Hedrick was caught later trying to steal home. Vance shortly after advanced to third and Mongold deftly collected a run batted in off a sacrifice bunt.
In the top of the third, Beachler led off reaching on an error, followed by a Jessica Parker walk. During the at bat, Beachler stole second and was lifted as a runner in favor of Jaiden Mitts, who promptly stole third. Kate Hedrick then followed, belting a double to center that scored both base runners. Later in the inning, Vance drove a shot over the wall in left, scoring herself, Alt, and Kate Hedrick.
Tucker County would score three runs to temporarily evade application of the mercy rule, but the Wildcats took the game in six innings, 12-3.
Petersburg 2 Pendleton County 1
Last Wednesday, the Wildcats traveled to Petersburg to face the team ranked second in the West Virginia Metro News coaches’ poll.
The game featured an old fashioned pitchers’ duel with Beachler hurling for Pendleton County.
Through five complete innings, both teams put runners on base, but timely pitching and defense prevented scores. The Wildcats struck first in the top of the sixth. With one out, Parker and Kate Hedrick hit back to back singles, followed by an Alt walk. Vance came up with the bases loaded and hit into a fielder’s choice to score Parker.
Petersburg in the bottom of the seventh with one out gave their team life as they singled in a runner to tie the game. The game ended when Petersburg loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth and a ground ball sent in the winning runner.
Pendleton County 14 Berkeley Springs 5
On Friday, Pendleton County played Berkeley Springs in the first game of the Bub Riggleman Memorial Tournament in Moorefield.
The Indians played from behind from the start. Smith reached on an error, then scored on an error during an at bat where Avery Townsend drew a walk. Beachler then knocked in the base runner Townsend to set the score at 2-0.
An error allowed Jessica Parker to reach safely and she scored on the next at bat as Kate Hedrick drove a ball to right field for a double. Two batters later, Kate Hedrick went home on a Vincell single.
In the bottom of the second, after Pendleton County posted three more runs, Berkeley Springs answered with a four run explosion capped by a home run to left. With the score 8-4 in the bottom of the third, Beachler came up with Mitts, Smith, and Townsend on the bases . . . and drove all home with a shot over the left field wall.
Later in the inning with one out, Parker scored from second on a Kate Hedrick single. The final run came in the bottom of the fourth. Smith reached on an error and was lifted as a runner for Mongold. Mongold hustled to second, then third, on two steals, then scored when Townsend hit into a fielder’s choice.
Phillip Barbour 3 Pendleton County 2
In the second game of the day, the Wildcats faced a strong Phillip Barbour team, as well as high winds and occasional spits of rain. Beachler took the mound.
In the duel between the pitchers, neither team could get their hitting going. Beachler continually fooled the Colts by switching pitch speeds while the Phillip Barbour pitcher used outstanding control and placement to keep Wildcat batters off balance.
Pendleton County scored first in the contest. Townsend led the game off with a walk then later, with two outs, took home on a passed ball. The next score came in the top of the third. Once again, Townsend set the table by earning a walk. She then stole second during Beachler’s at bat and scored on a single to center.
The bottom of the fourth proved fatal for the Wildcat cause, as they gave up three runs in the frame. Beachler struck out seven and only allowed two hits in the complete game effort.
Saturday opened up the tournament with the Wildcats knocking off Tucker County in the first game 13-5.
Pendleton County 16 Petersburg 8
The pitching duel from earlier in the week turned into a Pendleton County slugfest on Saturday. Townsend and Smith both earned walks to open the game, with a sharply hit ground ball by Beachler sending in the first run. Two batters later, a double by Kate Hedrick sent two runs in to give their team a 3-0 lead in the first.
The Vikings launched their own attack in the bottom of the inning as their hitters drove in five runs to take a 5-3 lead. Petersburg then set the Wildcats down in order in the top of the second and added a sixth run in the bottom of the frame.
Pendleton County answered in their half of the third. Beachler hit a one out triple, setting up Parker, whose double drove the runner in. Kate Hedrick’s shot to short was mishandled, allowing another run in. Alt took a base on balls before Vance came up. After Hedrick advanced to third, Vance drove a sacrifice fly to right, bringing home the run and tying the game.
Vincell allowed a walk to open the third, then set the next three batters down. The top of the fourth saw Mongold earning a leadoff walk, followed by a Townsend single. Smith then reached, loading the bases for Beachler, who singled to left field, driving in two. Parker followed with a single that allowed Smith to score. Singles from Alt and Vance pushed the lead to 12-6.
Later in the same inning, Vincell and Mongold reached safely, followed by a Townsend walk to load the bases. Smith then launched the ball into right field where a Petersburg error allowed three more Wildcat runs.
A Vance single drove in Parker for the final run and an impressive 16-8 victory.
Pendleton County 7 Phillip Barbour 3
These two squads played an exact rematch of the day before, right down to the same starting pitchers.
This time, however, the Wildcats won the war of attrition.
Just as in the first match up, the Wildcats scored first. With two outs, Beachler reached first safely, then stole second to get into scoring position. A Parker single drove Beachler home for the initial run.
Beachler got the Colts to go in order in the first, but gave up an inside the park home run in the next inning to tie the game. Pendleton County responded in the top of the third, starting with Mongold hitting a lead off single. A Smith triple sent Mongold home, then Smith scored herself on a fielder’s choice to extend the lead to 3-1.
Phillip Barbour tied the game in the bottom of the next inning, but promptly gave up the lead. The top of the fourth saw Kate Hedrick lead off with a double. Alt came up next and hit a single to drive home the runner.
Later in the inning, after Vance was hit by a pitch and Mongold earned a walk, Townsend drove home a run after a hard hit to second. A Smith double scored two runs and set the final score at 7-3.
Beachler retired the next six batters in a row. The Colts got base runners in the next two innings, but none reached home.
Championship Game: Jefferson 15 Pendleton County 2
Jefferson came into the game ranked fourth in triple A by West Virginia Metro News. Pendleton County has approximately one fifth of the Cougars’ student population.
The first two innings saw Jefferson take a 5-0 advantage, but then Vance settled in and blanked the Cougars for the next two innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, a Smith walk and a Beachler home run brought the Wildcats close, but Jefferson put the game away after that.
This was a week in which Pendleton County learned a lot about itself, especially coming back to beat two power teams to whom they had lost recently. Against Jefferson came weary Wildcats who never backed down, but simply hit a wall.
Head coach Eric Crites, after the loss to the Colts, spoke about his team needing to fine tune its execution in close games. A pitch here or a play there can mean the difference in winning and losing.
Three players brought home hardware as members of the all-tournament team. Hedrick and Townsend earned spots on the list. Beachler earned the Most Valuable Player award.
