By Stephen Smoot
In March, the discussion on Pendleton County softball ranged between whether or not this season would look more like rebuilding or reloading. The 2025 edition may have been one of the most dominant squads to ever take the field in Class A.
Part of that question lay in how a number of players with limited or no varsity action would respond when filling into starting roles for head coach Hilary Fox and her squad of experienced assistants. Turns out, those freshmen were metaphorical rounds put right into the chamber.
At press time, and prior to the road trip to Moorefield, the Wildcats had ascended to ninth place in Class A.
The relentless sun shone with no cloud filter just over the left field corner. Strong breezes in the mid 60s weather kicked up infield dust.
Laney Bowers led off the game. Moorefield’s pitcher got up on her quickly with a no balls and two strikes count, but she laid off two pitches to even it up. Bowers then drove a line drive to the wall and sprinted to second base. Two batters later and with one out, Jaycee Thompson made the first of multiple big plays on the night. She sent a line drive to the left field corner, picking up the first run batted in and beating the throw to third with a slide.
Moorefield escaped, working their way out of trouble and allowing only a run. Susan Vincell took to the mound in the bottom of the inning. The Yellow Jacket dugout jockeys worked most of the game to try to break Vincell’s focus. For the most part, their barbs had little sting. She struck out the first batter looking, allowed a triple, got the next girl to strike out swinging, walked a batter, then got the third out with her third strikeout of the inning and game.
Pendleton County erupted in the top of the second. Chesnee Colaw drew a walk on five pitches, but got out when the Jayden Mitts hit into a fielders’ choice. Callie Judy bunted the runner over, and on the play, Mitts hustled into third. The top of the order, Bowers, stepped in and drove the ball on the ground into right field, scoring the runner. Jessica Parker ripped the second pitch to her into the left field corner, reaching third base and hitting in another run.
A stand up double belted to left center by Vincell made the score 5-0 and Lexi Tingler followed with a walk on four pitches. Kinsley Price doubled and sent in two more to set the score at 7-0.
In the bottom of the second, Vincell’s first pitch glanced off the fists of the batter and put her on base. A triple scored the runner, but the Yellow Jackets could not muster much more against the Wildcat ace.
Neither team put runs across in the third. In the top of the fourth, Vincell drew a leadoff walk and ended up scoring on a throwing error after a wild pitch to push the score to 8-1.
Moorefield changed pitchers and from that point on, the Wildcats could not score runs in bunches as earlier. While they still got runners on and scored runs, the pitcher also prevented Wildcat batters from getting their bats squarely on the ball, resulting in softly hit grounders and a lot of fouls.
Meanwhile, Yellow Jacket hitters got more looks at Vincell and performed better against her in the middle innings, picking up two in the fifth and one more in the sixth. Pendleton County was held scoreless in the fifth as well.
Pendleton County’s defense played well. In the bottom of the fourth, after Thompson fielded an out at first, Price made a running over the shoulder catch as she sprinted into right field from the shortstop position.
In the top of the sixth, Thompson hit a leadoff single. Vincell hit the ball hard and back up the middle, but a glance off the pitcher slowed the trajectory almost completely, leading to a sacrifice rather than a single. Tingler hit Thompson in for the insurance run. Thompson hit in the final run in the top of the seventh.
The freshman Thompson had an outstanding game both at the plate and in the field. One of the Yellow Jackets’ late runs came off of a Thompson throwing error. In Moorefield’s last chance to try to win the game, their leadoff hitter drove a ball well toward right field. Thompson leapt and “ice cream coned” the play, catching the ball with the very top of her glove, ending the game with the win 10-4.
This week, the team hosted Tucker County on Tuesday and travels to Tygarts Valley today before returning to Moorefield for the Bub Riggleman Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
Pendleton County is the reigning champion of that tournament as well as for the state.
