By Stephen Smoot
The second week of April treated Sam Yokum’s Wildcats well.
Last Wednesday, Pendleton County earned a measure of revenge for a defeat at home to East hardy earlier in the season. The long road trip to Baker brought a Wildcat squad hungry for a win and the team battled the whole game.
In the first inning with one out, Travis Owens was hit by pitcher Jordan Teets and took his base. James Vincell hit a line drive single to left, putting men on first and second for Chase Owens. Chase Owens singled to left, gaining a run batted in as Travis Owens crossed the plate.
Later in the inning with two outs, a Cashton Kisamore single drove in Connor Hartman, running for Vincell.
East Hardy answered, cutting the lead in half in the bottom of the first.
The two pitchers, Cole Harper for Pendleton County, and Teets, settled in. Each team had opportunities in each inning, but pitching and defense beat hitting until the bottom of the fifth when East Hardy scored a one out run on a fielder’s choice play.
That set the score at two a piece.
Pendleton County took the lead for good in the top of the sixth. Chase Owens led off with a single. Two batters later, with one out, Kisamore drove a ball to left, but not deep enough to score chase Owens, who held up at third. Next, Cooper Smith took his base courtesy of being hit by a pitch.
With the bases loaded and a one ball and one strike count, Will Smith hit a grounder to short that was mishandled. Kisamore and Chase Owens crossed home plate to put their team up 4-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Travis Owens took the mound. The first hitter reached base on a single, but the next two fell to a fielder’s choice and strikeout, respectively. With two outs and the bases filled, an infield single gave East Hardy their third run.
With a narrow 4-3 advantage, the Wildcats saw their lead off man in the top of the seventh take his base. Vincell came next. During his at bat, Travis Owens stole second, then reached third on a sacrifice fly. With one out, Chase Owens hit a sacrifice that scored Travis Owens.
The Wildcats got insurance – and needed it when the home team took the field in the second half of the seventh.
Chase Owens took the mound as the closer and got the first two outs. A double and a single brought East Hardy within one and put the tying run on second. The final batter of the game for the Cougars struck out on three pitches and Pendleton County picked up a huge win.
After the emotional win on Wednesday, Pendleton County got back into action on Saturday afternoon. The promised soaking rains never materialized and the game took place in breezy 50-degree temperatures with occasional sun pushing through the gray cumulus clouds hovering above.
One could see that the East Hardy win added a bit of extra animation. Coaches watched warm ups closely. Yokum directed players almost as if in a game, urging proper position during a defense drill.
“All the way! All the way! Look how shallow we are!” Yokum shouted in encouragement.
In their half of the first inning, Travis Owens started on the mound. He got the first hitter to strike out. Then, Pocahontas County batters singled and walked. Two batters later, with two outs, a base hit to left scored a Warrior and put them on the board first.
Pendleton County responded in the bottom of the inning. Caleb Armentrout sent a fly ball into right center field. The Warrior outfielder ranged under it, but couldn’t complete the play, allowing the lead off man to take first base.
The very first pitch to the second hitter, Travis Owens, put him on. With base runners on second and first, Vincell singled to left, giving the Wildcats their first score.
Hartman entered the game to run for Vincell and stole second. With two outs, the Wildcats loaded the bases, but could get no more runs in at that point.
Wildcat defense and pitching kept the visitors quiet in the top of the second. The leadoff batter worked the count to 10 pitches before taking a walk to first. Next, Spencer Hartman snagged a screaming line drive hit to him at third, then fired across the diamond to pick off the runner at first before he could get back. A strikeout on four pitches closed the Warrior half of the inning.
Pendleton County then took command. Warrior pitching put the first two batters, Spencer Hartman and Noah Lockard, on base the hard way, by getting hit. Armentrout singled to short, speeding down the line to beat the throw and loading the bases for Travis Owens.
Once again Warrior pitching gave a free base on balls the hard way, but that helped Travis Owens to pick up a run batted in the easy way, sending Spencer Hartman home. Connor Hartman then hit a ground ball to third, allowing courtesy runner Jonas Turner to score on a fielders choice.
Now up 3-1 with one out, Chase Owens came to the plate. On the second pitch, he drove the ball to deep center. Had the ball not met the winds driving in from center field most of the day, it had a strong chance to leave the park. As it happened, he raced to third, then tried to extend the play into an inside the park home run. The throw picked him off at home, but the triple that was awarded to him also gave him two RBIs and a 5-1 lead.
With the bases emptied, Harper knocked a single to shallow center, then went to second on a Kisamore single to third. Cooper Smith on a one strike pitch sent a ground ball to right, scoring Harper. In the next at bat, Spencer Hartman hit Kisamore in, but the warriors caught Cooper Smith as he tried to advance to second.
That ended the second.
Cayden Boone, affectionately known as “the Rooster” to his teammates since a strong performance last year at South Harrison, used his defense to efficiently sit three Warriors in order as the fourth inning opened. Pendleton County surrendered two outs to open their half of the fourth inning.
Colby Simmons then drew a walk on five pitches. Lockard reached on an error and drove him to second base in the process. An Armentrout single then loaded the bases for Barrett Cook. Cook gave up two strikes, then worked his way back to a three balls and two strikes count before driving a base hit to center, scoring courtesy runner Turner and also Simmons.
That finalized the scoring at 9-1. Over the remaining innings, Will Smith, followed by Cooper Smith, allowed a single hit and two walks over three shutout innings to seal the win.
