Pendleton County’s baseball squad put in the work and overcame numerous obstacles to claw their way into the state tournament this year. After years of climbing the mountain each May and not taking the summit, the Wildcats took their place as the seventh seed in Class A.
Prior to the trek to Huntington, Sam Yokum, head coach, arranged for two tune up games against Jefferson and Lincoln (Harrison). These had the intention of exhibitions, but also count toward the regular season records of each team. Pendleton County took on the fifth seed in Class AAAA, Jefferson, early in the week and fell 9-2 in a competitive game.
Last Wednesday night, they entertained the Lincoln Cougars of Shinnston in Harrison County. They held the seventh seed for the Class AA playoffs, posting wins during the season over Elkins, Moorefield, East Hardy, and splitting a season series with Petersburg. Like Pendleton County, the Cougars played a robust slate of squads to forge a team resilient enough to take on the best in the state.
Both games played by the Wildcats last week took place at Garrett College in Maryland with representatives of that school’s coaching staff on hand to watch a commit to them from Lincoln and also to scout for future talent.
A.J. Bart took the mound for the Cougars and got a battle from the leadoff batter Travis Owens, who also qualified and competed in the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission state track meet. He continued guarding the plate for nine pitches before flying out to left. The next batter, Jaxon Simon, earned a walk, but a ground ball out and a baserunner caught between bases closed the first half of the inning.
Pendleton County rested their big game pitcher Chase Owens and opened with Mason Miller, a freshman with a four and four record and a 5.09 ERA. He walked 26 and struck out 38 on the season. Colton Edwards led off with a line drive single on the second pitch to him. Anthony Belcastro drove a single past second into shallow right center and Lincoln seemed to have momentum early.
Max Abruzzino, who hits .323, grounded to second. Travis Owens fielded it, tossed it to Chase Owens at second, who relayed it to first, but could not quite secure the out there. The first inning concluded when Edwards was picked at third and the batter flew out to left.
In the top of the second, the Wildcats got Cashton Kisamore on with a single and Cole Harper on via a base on balls, but the infield defense of Lincoln helped them to escape without damage. Lincoln similarly put two on base in their half of the second, only to see Pendleton County’s infield in turn use defense to get their pitcher out of potential problems.
Wildcat bats came alive in the top of the third. Christopher Mazzei took the mound in this inning. The exhibition aspect of the game saw each coach using his pitchers for limited innings to get arms ready, but not too used up, for the coming week. Mazzei had a two and one record on the year with a 4.24 ERA and a team leading three saves.
Noah Lockard led off for the Wildcats and got plunked in the helmet by the first pitch tossed to him. Wyatt Haynes stepped in to pinch run for him. Travis Owens came next. The first and third pitches came high and inside, but the second was a foul hit straight back. He singled on a ground ball, putting runners at first and second.
Simon stepped to the plate. He has enjoyed a strong freshman campaign with a .289 batting average, 26 runs batted in, 10 doubles and two home runs. One of those doubles he sent over third base on a line drive into left field, sending Haynes home, Travis Owens to third, and putting the Wildcats up 1-0.
Chase Owens sent a drive between the right and center fielders to the wall, reaching third and sending in two runs for a 3-0 advantage.
Miller stepped in and went down one ball and two strikes, but Chase Owens stole home on a passed ball during the at bat. Miller on the fourth pitch to hit walked into second. Mazzei then gathered himself and got the next three Wildcats in turn to close out that half of the inning.
Lincoln fired back in their half of the third with Edwards doubling to left to lead off. Belcastro worked the pitcher to two balls and no strikes, then grounded to second. Travis Owens saw the ball bounce out of his glove, but reached back, snagged the ball from the air, and tossed Belcastro out. The sacrifice put Edwards at third with a single out.
Abruzzino followed by lofting a fly ball to center, deep enough for the runner to tag and put Lincoln on the board.
Cohen Hiett then entered the game in relief of Miller. He has done well when handed the ball, earning a one win and no loss record and also a 1.31 ERA. He has allowed in seven appearances six hits and six walks, but struck out 17. Brycen Moore faced him first, bringing a .298 average with him. He drove his pitch to the opposite field wall, but the Wildcat defense recovered quickly enough to keep the hard-charging runner at third.
Hiett picked up the third out on the next at bat to get his team back to the plate.
Mazzei looked at five batters with his infielders picking up two outs and striking out Chase Owens to conclude the top of the fourth.
Lincoln came to the bottom of the fourth with work to do. With one out, Jacob Holt earned a walk, having 17 on the year. Chasen Sipher came to the plate later with two outs. During his at bat, Holt swiped second to get into scoring position. Sipher took advantage, singling to shallow second, bringing in Holt and setting the score at 4-2 in favor of the Wildcats.
Jacob Bart came to pitch for Lincoln in the top of the fifth. He posted a six and five record on the season with a 4.84 ERA. Miller sent a two balls and two strikes pitch up the middle for a base hit. Kisamore, a .346 hitter on the season, directed a bunt down the third base side. Mazzei at third made a tremendous effort to secure the out, but the batter reached safely with Miller halting at second.
Mason Harper earned a walk on six pitches to load the bases with no outs. Jacob Bart dug in against the left hander Cole Harper and struck him out swinging. Hiett then drove the first pitch to him to left field, scoring one, the bases remaining loaded with Wildcats.
Lockard then hit a ground ball to third that got Mason Harper out, but scoring Kisamore on the fielder’s choice. Travis Owens took a base on balls on four straight pitches with Haynes running for Lockard and Barrett Cook stepping in to run for Hiett. Simon went down no balls and two strikes, watched a ball, then launched the next pitch over the left fielder’s head to the wall. Three runs came in, breaking the game open for Pendleton County 9-2.
Pendleton County sent Caydon Boone to pitch in the bottom of the fifth. The senior has two wins and no losses on the season with a 2.62 ERA. He dealt nine pitches to retire the Cougars’ side in order.
Alex Greene, with a three and one record, went on to pitch for Lincoln in the top of the sixth. He struck out Miller on four pitches, but his third pitch plunked Kisamore in the shoulder. Mason Harper grounded out, but moved the lead runner to scoring position on the sacrifice. Cole Harper’s ground ball, plus an errant throw, brought the run in and put the batter on third base for a 10-2 mark. Greene then struck out Landon Davis to close the inning.
Travis Owens appeared in the bottom of the sixth, but Greene reached second on an error to get the Cougars going in the inning. A. J. Bart pushed a seeing eye single into left to put runners on the corners with no outs. Holt sent a fly ball to deep right, allowing the runner on third to tag and score the Cougars’ third run.
Two batters later and with two outs, Sipher came to the plate. He patiently waited through the first three pitches, all balls, as A. J. Bart made his way via steals to second, then third. Bart scored when Sipher lined to right, making the score 10 to four.
For the top of the seventh, Colton Edwards assumed the mound. In nine appearances he has one win and no losses with a 4.50 ERA. With maximum efficiency, he went through the Wildcats in order using only five pitches to get to the bottom of the seventh.
With the score not out of reach, but still presenting a mountain to climb, Belcastro and Abruzzino got on with no outs. On the next at bat, Moore grounded to Chase Owens, who kicked off a double play and sent Belcastro to scoring position at third.
Travis Owens then earned the last out with a ground ball rolled back to himself. He ran, applied the tag, and closed out the game.
Pendleton County thus entered the state tournament will all pistons firing as they awaited a rematch with area rival East Hardy.
