By Shawn Stinson
The Pendleton County baseball team had its season conclude with a loss in the Class A Regional II Section 2 playoffs.
Following the playoff-opening loss to Tucker County on May 9, Pendleton stayed alive by gaining revenge against Tucker three days later in Franklin. The Wildcats eliminated the Mountain Lions from the postseason with a 7-1 victory. Tucker edged Pendleton 6-5 in the initial contest of the postseason in Franklin.
Clayton Kisamore led the way for the Wildcats on the mound and at the plate. Kisamore hurled a complete game, allowing two hits, no earned runs and recorded 10 strikeouts. Kisamore went 2 for 3 with two doubles and three runs batted in.
Cameron Beachler was 4 for 4 in the victory. Caleb Armentrout, Brayden Beachler, Landon Colaw, Allden Rexrode, Jayden Roberson and James Vincell all recorded a hit for the Wildcats. Roberson and Vincell both notched an RBI. Rexrode scored two runs.
Pendleton jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning and extended its margin to 3-0 at the end of the third. Tucker sliced into the deficit with a single run in the top of the fourth, but Pendleton added a run in the bottom of the frame and three more in the bottom of the fifth.
The victory against Tucker County kept Pendleton’s season alive. Pendleton faced East Hardy on May 13 in an elimination game in Baker. The Cougars swept the season series with the Wildcats by claiming a 12-6 victory.
Pendleton coach Sam Yokum said his team played well but was undone by miscues.
“Too many errors,” Yokum said.
Kisamore went 2 for 4 to lead the Wildcats’ offense. Brayden Beachler, Cameron Beachler, Colaw, Rexrode, Roberson and Vincell all had a hit in the loss.
Pendleton scored a single run in the top of the third to take the lead, but East Hardy responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame. The Cougars tacked on five runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Wildcats rallied with five runs of their own in the top of the fifth to trim the margin to 7-6. East Hardy answered with five runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull away for the victory.
Rexrode started the game on the mound for Pendleton before being relieved by Cameron Beachler and Colaw. Yokum said the trio pitched well in the loss.
Pendleton wraps its season with an overall record of 8-15.
