By Stephen Smoot
In March, the question was, will this be a rebuilding or reloading season for Wildcat softball?
As April opened, the statement was, this team has talent — definitely a reloading season.
But as April has closed out, one might cautiously start to speculate just how far this team could go one year after one of the most dominant Class A softball teams ever won states.
Take out two Class AAAA losses to Oak Hill and Musselman, but remembering an 8-3 Bub Riggleman Tournament win over seventh in Class AAAA Spring Mills, and the only loss in April came to Class AA 10th ranked Lincoln (Harrison). Starting on April 14 down to last week, Pendleton County has outscored opponents 142 to 53 with the discrepancy even more gaudy when the Oak Hill result is subtracted.
When the season started, the incoming freshman gave coaches optimism for the future while remaining a question mark for this year. That question mark quickly straightened out into an exclamation point.
Jaycee Thompson took the mound against Tygarts Valley. Interestingly, the Bulldogs previous game to the April 28 matchup was on April 16 with 16-5 loss in Randolph County. Thompson got the first two outs, allowed a single, but then shut down the Bulldogs by getting the batter to fly out on the first pitch to her.
Thompson has built a record of four wins and a single loss on the year, walking 11 and striking out 16 in 25 innings pitched.
Molly Rowe got the ball rolling in the bottom of the first, using a bunt to get that started, then legging out the play for a single. Rowe stole second on the initial pitch to Callie Judy. Then as the hitter slapped a ground ball, a series of errors ushered Rowe home for the first run of the game.
Jess Parker sacrificed and moved Judy to second. Then Susan Vincell drove a ground ball through short into left for a double that sent Judy in for a 2-0 score.
Two batters later with Vincell on third, Kinsley Price hit a grounder to short that was misplayed, allowing the run in. Pendleton County closed out the first with a 3-0 lead.
Tygarts Valley’s first batter up drew a five pitch walk, but Thompson used her defense to get three quick outs and return her team to the plate.
Wildcat hitters continued their relentless assault in the bottom of the second. Chesnee Colaw led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice by Thompson. Laney Bowers earned a walk that moved Colaw to scoring position. Rowe then patiently drew a walk to load the bases with Wildcats.
Judy drove the ball up the middle, allowing Bowers to score. A throwing error scored both Rowe and Colaw with Judy ending up on second. At this point, Pendleton County enjoyed a 6-0 advantage, which they took into the subsequent inning.
The Bulldogs halved the lead by posting three in the top of the third, but could not enjoy it for long. Jaiden Mitts drove a ground ball through the middle for a base hit to open the Wildcat third. Price singled and sent Mitts to second. Two batters later, Thompson, who has 18 hits and 16 runs batted in this season and is hitting .360, singled to right and batted in Price.
Her team now up 7-3, Bowers’ sharply hit ground ball reached center field, allowing Thompson to get in, followed by Colaw. Two batters later with two outs, Judy kept the inning alive. After the catcher dropped strike three, she alertly raced safely to first, scoring Bowers and sending Rowe to third. Rowe then stole home on the final at bat of the inning, setting the score at 11-3.
Abby Judy then entered the game in relief of Thompson. Tygarts Valley loaded the bases with two outs and picked up a run, but Judy then struck out the final batter on four pitches to close the inning and keep the score 11-5.
In the bottom of the fourth, Pendleton County added three more runs. Lexi Tingler was the catalyst for two. She singled, advanced to second on a throw, then third on an error. Bowers in the next at bat, hit the ball toward the pitchers mound, ending up safe and sending Tingler home for the final run in the 14-5 win.
A 19-0 victory over Pocahontas County saw near-perfection from ace pitcher Vincell. In the first and fifth innings, she struck out the side. In the second, a batter reached on an error, preventing the perfect game. Warrior batters only put the ball in play on that occasion and two more times, both of those outs. Vincell struck out 13 total.
Two more games await in the regular season, as of publication deadline, rivalry games against Moorefield and Petersburg before entering regionals as the number one seed. The Vikings are 21 and three with one of the top records in Class AA. They boast dominant wins over Musselman, Spring Mills, Hedgesville, Jefferson, and other large schools.
The Wildcats lost in late March at Petersburg 10-3.
