By Stephen Smoot
As the Wildcats come toward the climax of the 2026 season, the opponents continue to get tougher, but the team also continues to rise to the occasion.
Petersburg sailed into Franklin last week, memories of their recent strength on the diamond in all minds. They took a slender 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Pendleton County answered right back.
Jaxon Simon led off and his patience at the plate paid dividends in a walk on a full count pitch. Petersburg’s pitcher could not get him to chase pitches outside and he took his base. Travis Owens followed with a walk on five pitches with Simon swiping second during the at bat. With Simon in scoring position, Chase Owens hit a high chopper to third in a sacrifice play that sent the first run home.
With Travis Owens on third, Mason Miller sent a fly ball to deep center. The second sacrifice of the inning produced the second run. Cole Harper was subsequently plunked in the posterior with a pitch, followed by a base on balls given to Mason Harper. With men on first and second, Cashton Kisamore drove the third pitch to him into center field, pushing in the third and final run of the inning.
Ace Chase Owens retired the side in order in the top of the second. The second out of the inning came with Kisamore chasing a foul ball first base side and squeezing the play after a long run.
Petersburg struck back in their half of the third, scoring twice. One came on a solo home run, but Chase Owens struck out the final two batters of the inning swinging.
Chase Owens led off the bottom of the third inning. He did not get his whole strength into the hit, but it was enough to send the ball to the opposite field for a double. Miller followed with a slicing line drive to center field that sent the first batter home and extended the lead to 4-3.
Wildcat hitters had their timing down on Petersburg pitching on the day, sending shot after shot into centerfield.
Scoring continued in the bottom of the third. Cole Harper walked, with Mason Harper reaching after being hit by a pitch. With one out and bases full, Cooper Smith clubbed a pitch into left field, sending in the fifth run and loading the bases yet again. Noah Lockard earned a run batted in the hard way, being hit by a pitch. The inning ended there with the Wildcats ahead again, 6-3.
In the bottom of the fourth with one out and Travis Owens in scoring position at second base, Miller sent a hard ground ball into left field, allowing the runner to cross home plate. Nifty baserunning by Miller scored the eighth run as Cole Harper drew a walk. Pendleton County then led 8-4.
The Vikings earned two runs in the bottom of the fifth, coming to within two runs. The bottom of the inning found Cooper Smith on third with two outs. Travis Owens belted a line drive to, where else, center field, to score the ninth run. Chase Owens drove the runner in with his own single to center.
Both Owens’ brothers had figured prominently in the hitting and Chase Owens so far had tamed the Viking hitters. He went into the seventh and saw the lead off man hit a single. The second batter of the inning worked a no balls and two strikes count back into a two and two pitch. A high and inside pitch was driven to left, where Smith ranged over and extended to get the first out.
The second out came on a swinging strikeout, but head coach Sam Yokum elected to send in Travis Owens to take the mound and nail the save. He walked the first hitter, but struck out the second on four pitches. Ending the game with a 10-6 win for the Wildcats.
Pendleton County hosted Harman the very next night, giving younger players a chance to see more innings. Cayden Boone pitched two no hit innings and picked up the win. Landon Davis and Cohen Hiett each delivered a no hit inning as well.
Davis had four runs batted in and Boone two as the team had 10 hits, yet scored 15 runs to none for Harman.
Road trips to Southern and Elkins brought no joy, with the team dropping a 10-5 setback to the former and lost 10-0 to the latter.
Saturday, however, brought a special performance against Highland County. Hiett started against the cross border foes and pitched a near-perfect game, allowing no hits and no runs in five innings. Only a sole walk blemished his day during the 10-0 victory.
As the Wildcats head into the final weeks and look forward to the postseason, Yokum praised his team’s progress in all ways this spring, but shared that he hopes to see pitchers besides senior Chase Owens become more consistent.
