Pendleton County softball racked up the accolades after the season almost as fast as wins during. The team’s 21-5 record earned the Wildcats the honor of All Potomac Valley Conference team of the year. Its “bomb squad” racked up 25 home runs as a team and a .314 squad average while posting a .931 fielding percentage.
Too many bites from the injury bug shortened their season, but left them hungry for 2025.
Three Wildcats earned first team honors. Baylee Beachler and Avery Townsend, both juniors and both college signees, and Jessica Parker earned spots.
Beachler brought intensity and ferocity to the pitchers’ mound, mowing down opposing batters with ease whether they competed at the single, double, or even triple A level. This season, her accuracy matched her speed, making her feared.
Her 10-3 record came with 123 strikeouts, fully one third of them “looking.” She also walked less than one batter every two innings, showing outstanding control. Beachler led the team with nine home runs and posted a .438 batting average.
Townsend played masterful defense at short, serving as part of the foundation of their success on the field. She also hit well for average or power, able to drive balls out of the park, or lay down a well-executed bunt, depending on what the situation required. Speed on the bases made any single a virtual double, usually on the first pitch to the subsequent batter.
The leadoff hitter had a .382 average and a team high 30 stolen bases off of 29 hits.
Parker, a freshman, sent word to regional opponents that the Wildcats will have strength, power, and precision defense at the catcher position for years to come. She worked her way up into the lineup as she brought consistent hitting and power to the plate.
Parker hit for a .377 average and tied for third on the team with six doubles.
Kate Hedrick held down what baseball old-timers call “the hot corner” for the Wildcats this season. Her athleticism saved many potential hits while playing a demanding role. She also hit for a .346 average and placed second on the team in doubles. Hedrick proved invaluable in the middle of the lineup, placing second on the team in runs batted in with 27.
Jenna Smith made a huge adjustment defensively this year, moving from catcher to second base, but excelled there, earning a .921 fielding percentage at an often unforgiving position. Her bat also brought power in key situations, hitting 11 extra base hits and driving in 21 RBIs.
Lizzie Alt played a near perfect first base this season, racking up a .959 fielding percentage with 131 put outs. A first baseman is involved in the vast majority of plays and Alt handled her corner superbly. On offense, she racked up 20 hits with six doubles, two triples, and two home runs.
Alongside of Parker, Susan Vincell showed that Pendleton County’s younger players can dominate as well as their more experienced upperclassman. She earned a 7-1 record on the mound, one of those victories a needed late season pick up against powerhouse Petersburg.
While the team says farewell to core player Hedrick, it will have a number of senior leaders to push the team forward next year, supported by underclassmen and talent rising from the middle school ranks.
