By Stephen Smoot
After besting both Notre Dame and Bath County, Virginia, to start the season, the Wildcats turned last Thursday to a familiar foe.
Pendleton County 5 Tucker County 1
Tucker County dominated the region and the state in football and basketball this season, but found themselves on the losing end of their first contest with Pendleton County in baseball this year.
Cashton Kisamore started the game for Pendleton County, pitching two and one third innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs. Chase Owens pitched the rest of the way, also blanking Tucker County.
The Mountain Lions scored first on a base hit single, but that ended the offensive production for both teams until the bottom of the fourth. James Vincell led off with a single to left field. With two outs, Cole Harper came up. During his at bat, an error by the catcher helped Vincell score to tie the game. Then Harper drew a walk.
Caleb Armentrout then came to the plate. Once again, a Tucker County error put a Wildcat runner into scoring position. Armentrout hit a one strike pitch to center, scoring Harper and taking the lead for good. The Mountain Lions then walked Dillon Smith and Josiah Kimble before Allden Rexrode came up to bat. Rexrode reached on an error that also allowed Armentrout to score.
In the bottom of the sixth, Will Smith led with a double, followed by an Armentrout walk. Rexrode brought them in with a double to set the score at 5-1.
Pendleton County 14 Bluefield 10
The Wildcats went from a pitchers’ duel to a slugfest when they traveled to Charleston to meet double A Bluefield in tournament play. The Beavers struggled on the year, but worked to dam up Wildcat hopes of continuing their undefeated season.
Rexrode started the game off in the top of the first with a single to short. Two batters later, Vincell picked up a run batted in by scoring Rexrode on a single. Rexrode had reached scoring position on a wild pitch to Owens.
In the first two innings Bluefield surged ahead of the Wildcats, scoring four runs, but Pendleton County answered in the top of the third.
Rexrode led off the inning with a walk, followed by Owens reaching first on an error. With Rexrode at third, the Beaver hurler tossed a wild pitch that sent Rexrode home. Vincell then singled to left, allowing Owens to score as well. Later in the inning, Vincell would score on a wild pitch to knot the game at four.
The Wildcats broke the game open in the top of the fourth. Dusty Smith, hit by a pitch, reached to lead off the inning. Rexrode then came up to bat. A wild pitch to him scored Dusty Smith, giving Pendleton County the lead. Rexrode, followed by Owens, walked.
Vincell took a one ball and one strike pitch to right field on a line drive, scoring both Owens and Rexrode. Kisamore knocked Vincell home on a sacrifice. When the dust cleared, Pendleton County had doubled up Bluefield, but much more baseball remained to be played.
Bluefield posted another run in the bottom of the fourth, then drove in three more to tie the game in their half of the fifth.
Pendleton County once again seized the lead in the top of the sixth. Owens led off with a double, followed by a Vincell single. Kisamore followed by laying down a bunt. Owens scored and both Vincell and Kisamore reached safely.
Harper then came up for a very eventful at bat. A wild pitch moved the two runners to second and third, then Harper’s single drove in Vincell and moved Kisamore to third. Bluefield walked Armentrout and Dusty Smith in succession. With two outs, an error helped Rexrode reach first safely as Harper scored. With the bases loaded, an Owens walk sent in the 13th run of the game for the Wildcats.
Pendleton County scored one more run in the top of the seventh. Kisamore singled, then advanced to second on a wild pitch to Dusty Smith, then stole third with Henry Warner at the plate. A sacrifice ground ball scored Kisamore. Bluefield added two runs in the final half inning to complete scoring in the Wildcat win.
Pendleton County 12 Greater Beckley Christian 1
Saturday morning in Charleston brought out a stellar performance from the Wildcats. After facing down a challenge from Bluefield, Pendleton County took on the Greater Beckley Christian Crusaders.
Owens started on the mound for the Wildcats and set Greater Beckley Christian down in order. Scoring erupted in the bottom of the second inning. Armentrout reached after being hit by a pitch, followed by a Dillon Smith single. Rexrode then hit the ball back toward the pitcher, who fumbled the play and allowed Armentrout and Dillon Smith to get home and take a 2-0 lead.
Next, Owens reached on a single, setting up Vincell. He drove a two ball and one strike pitch to deep centerfield and out of the park, pushing the lead to 5-0. Two batters later, Dusty Smith knocked in Kisamore for the last run of the inning.
The Crusaders put up a run in the next half inning and scoring ended until the sixth stanza. With two outs, Harper singled to center, followed by a Warner hit to left. Tucker Smith then reached the plate and hit his own single to load the bases. Cayden Boone then lofted a single to center, knocking in two runs batted in. David Noble next drew a walk, scoring the 10th run for the Wildcats.
Scoring concluded when Noah Lockard hit a line drive triple to center field.
This week Pendleton County faces five games in four days, including quad A Musselman and double A Keyser, as well as regional rival Petersburg.
Also, after the baseball team’s impressive start, they are ranked 10th in the West Virginia Metro News Power rankings and first in single A by Max Preps.
