By Stephen Smoot
Before the season, head coach Sam Yokum said that there are few things better than beating Moorefield. When the Yellow Jackets came to town, it was a battle, but the team delivered a big win over a key rival.
Moorefield struck first in the first in the initial at bat. On a 1-1 count, the batter fired the ball into left field for a base hit. That was followed by a single to right field and a walk to load the bases with a single out. Another single to left drove two runs in.
At that point, starting pitcher Clayton Kisamore and his defense righted the ship. He got the next batter to hit a line drive to center that was caught. A quick and smart throw doubled the runner at second to end the inning with a 2-0 deficit.
In the bottom of the first, the Wildcats went down in order. Moorefield couldn’t do much in the top of the second. Cashton Kisamore caught the first out on a dead run in shallow right field. Clayton Kisamore followed that with a strikeout and the side was retired on a tee shot back to the pitcher.
Pendleton County answered the Yellow Jackets in the bottom of the second. Cameron Beachler took a one out walk. Brayden Beachler swung away on a hit and run that rolled to short with Moorefield unable to make a play. With the tying run on, Dustin Vandevander fired a base hit to right field, leaving the bases loaded with one out.
Two batters later, Dillon Smith took four straight balls to walk and drive a run in. Chase Owens then hit a bouncing ball through the infield to left, sending two more runs in. Clayton Kisamore followed with an infield single that knocked in the fourth run of the inning. Moorefield recorded the final out after that, but fell behind 4-2.
Moorefield surged ahead in the top of the third. The leadoff hitter shot a line drive into left center for a single. Next came a single to center, followed by a ground ball to short and an out at second. The subsequent hitter flied out to left field and drove in a run. After that came a double to the wall that drove in another RBI and tied the score at 4. That left a runner on third with two outs, who was driven in by a ground ball toward second base.
The bottom of the third brought more hits and scoring from the Wildcats. Colaw rocketed a hit to deep left center for a ground rule double. Cameron Beachler followed that with a hit to center. A throwing error brought the run in and left the hitter at second base. The pitcher walked Brayden Beachler, followed by Vandevander hitting a ball sharply off the second baseman, who could not make a play. With runners at first and third and nobody out, Jayden Robeson hit a ground ball to first that got him an out, but scored the runner. The score now 7-5, Moorefield brought in a new pitcher to face Smith, who struck out.
Owens now came up to bat at the top of the order with an out and a runner at third. He hit a stand up double to drive in a run. The pitcher then dealt walks to the next three batters, Clayton Kisamore, James Vincell, and Landon Colaw. Colaw’s walk pushed in another run. Cameron Beachler was injured in his next at bat. Alex Ruddle stepped in with an 0-2 count and could not avoid the inning ending strikeout. The score going into the top of the fourth was 9-5 in favor of the Wildcats.
Action continued as Moorefield got the first three runners aboard with a ground ball, a walk, and then a line drive to left field that scored two runs. With a runner still at second, the next batter grounded to short for the first out, sending the runner to third. A fly out to centerfield earned the second out, but also allowed in the final run of the inning. The Yellow Jackets had closed to 9-8.
Pendleton County could not generate offense in the bottom of the inning, giving Moorefield the opportunity to surge ahead as they scored two in the top of the fifth. The Wildcat bats kept hitting them where they ain’t, however. Clayton Kisamore led off with a ground ball single, followed by Vincell driving him in with a stand up double to tie the game.
Two batters later, the Moorefield pitcher hit Brayden Beachler. Vandevander came up with two outs and the go ahead run at third. He singled into the right centerfield gap, driving in two to mark the score at 12-10, Pendleton County’s advantage. The score remained there the rest of the game as Cashton Kisamore ended the Yellow Jacket sixth in four batters. Colaw worked the seventh, pitching to four batters and only allowing one on.
The Wildcats will travel to South Harrison on Saturday to take on the 10-7 Hawks. South Harrison defeated Moorefield 16-4, but also lost to the same squad 15-5.
