By Stephen Smoot
It took long enough for the wind and weather to clear enough to allow play, but ever since, the Wildcats have remained on the hunt. In addition to beating Frankfort, Pendleton County also easily handled rival East Hardy while pummeling Hampshire twice.
Pendleton County 8 East Hardy 0
Last week, the Wildcats handled the East Hardy Cougars in a run shortened game. Baylee Beachler, who finished the game with 11 strikeouts, walked the first batter, but got the next two batters to strike out looking. The third out came from a baserunning error.
In the bottom of the first, the Cougars put the first two batters on. Avery Townsend was hit by a pitch, followed by Jenna Smith taking a walk on four pitches. A passed ball sent Townsend to third, where she scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Beachler.
The Wildcats scored next in the bottom of the third. Lizzie Alt drew a one out walk, followed by Kate Hedrick getting a free pass on five pitches. Two passed balls during the at bat sent Alt to third. Susan Vincell came to the plate next. Although she struck out, a passed ball during her at bat allowed Alt to score.
Later in the same inning, Smith collected two runs batted in on an inside the park home run that also put Townsend across the plate.
The rest of the Wildcat runs came in the bottom of the fifth. Jaiden Mitts started the action by singling to right field, followed by walks earned by Nataley Hedrick, then Jessica Parker. Madison Arbaugh stepped in as a pinch runner for Parker.
The sixth run came when Mitts stole home plate. Nataley Hedrick stole third and Arbaugh second on the same play. Townsend’s double to centerfield brought in the seventh run.
With Isabella Lockard in as a runner for Townsend, a Smith sacrifice scored the final run needed for the eight-run mercy rule to kick in, ending the game.
Pendleton County 11 Hampshire 0 (Game One)
On another April day featuring late season football style weather, Pendleton County made the 90 minute trip north to Romney to play a double header.
In the first game, Allie Vance scattered three hits over five innings, striking out five. Pendleton County also launched four home runs against the Trojans, courtesy of Kate Hedrick, Townsend, Beachler, and Vincell.
Scoring started in the top of the first for the Wildcats. Smith reached second on an error. Beachler in the next at bat picked up a run batted in as another error allowed Smith to score.
The Trojans held the Wildcats at bay until the top of the third. Townsend led off the inning by driving a home run over the centerfield fence. Smith reached on an error, but was picked off in the next at bat. Beachler then drove a line drive over the right field fence.
Still in the third, Parker tripled and Kate Hedrick hit her own line drive home run to right, giving her team a 5-0 advantage.
The top of the fourth saw another explosive inning. Vincell led off with a double to left field, followed by a walk earned by Nataley Hedrick. Two batters later, Smith singled to load the bases, setting the table for Beachler, who belted a triple to centerfield, scoring three more runs.
Still in the fourth, Parker hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Beachler. Kate Hedrick drew a walk and was driven in on a double to left field hit by Alt.
In the bottom of the fourth, Hampshire had no answers for Vance’s control and stamina. She struck out the first batter, then got the next two batters to hit into outs on only two pitches.
A lead–off Vincell home run to center provided the lone scoring in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, Hampshire could not muster any offense against Vance, only securing a two out walk before the Pendleton County pitcher shut the door on Hampshire.
Pendleton County 9 Hampshire 1
Vincell earned her first varsity victory as a pitcher, combining with Lockard to limit Hampshire to only two hits and a single run during the second outing of the day.
The freshman pitcher made an early statement, setting down the Trojans in order to open the game. When the Wildcats took the field in their half of the inning, Smith drew a lead off walk, then advanced to third during the next at bat on an error. A sacrifice fly to right field by Townsend sent Smith home to collect the first run of the game.
Beachler then doubled. Parker knocked her in on a line drive single to left field. Two batters later, with two outs, Alt drove in Parker with a line drive triple to right field to set the score at 3-0. Vance helped her squad pick up the last run in the inning by knocking in Alt with a single.
In the top of the second, Vincell had another one-two-three inning, keeping the Trojan offense silent. Hampshire returned the favor in the bottom of the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Beachler hit a triple and was subsequently driven in on a sacrifice ground ball by Parker.
Hampshire picked up their sole run of the game in the top of the fourth, cutting the lead to 5-1. Vincell got revenge of sorts by hitting a leadoff double in the Pendleton County half of the inning, followed by a walk from Mitts. Lockard came in to run for Vincell.
Smith then had a sharply hit ground ball to center to score Lockard and send Mitts to second. Townsend knocked in Mitts and Smith with a line drive triple to right. Townsend then scored on a Beachler sacrifice fly to close down scoring for the game.
In Hampshire’s half of the fifth, Wildcat pitching set the Trojans down in order to win the game.
Townsend, Beachler, and Alt all hit triples in the game.
