Allie Vance pitched four strong innings for the Wildcats against Greenbrier West.
By Stephen Smoot
The Wildcats won eight of nine coming into a tough 14 team field at the Bub Riggleman Tournament in Moorefield last weekend, including a slugfest over Tygarts Valley on the 19th. The four-game winning streak included strong efforts against familiar foes.
On the 15th, Pendleton County took two from double A Frankfort. According to Max Preps, the Falcons have a .328 batting average and key wins over Mountain Ridge and powerhouse Petersburg. In the first game of the double header, they pounded their opponents 17-2, then blanked Frankfort in the second game 5-0.
After a two-day turnaround, Pendleton County faced rival Moorefield on a dry and windy day. They came away with a big win, scoring 12 to the Yellow Jackets’ eight.
The next day, the Wildcats took on Tygarts Valley and earned the 16-1 victory.
Momentum continued as the squad competed in the Bub Riggleman Tournament on the 21st and 22nd. In their opening game, the Wildcats battled triple A Hedgesville. The Eagles have posted a 15-8 record on the season, including the tournament games. This includes big victories over Martinsburg, Musselman, and Hampshire.
Hedgesville struck first in the top of the first, but the Wildcats answered in the bottom of the stanza to set a 1-1 tie. In the bottom of the third, Pendleton County knocked two across for a 3-1 advantage, but three in the fifth sealed the 4-3 final for the Eagles.
On the second Friday game, the Wildcats tried to punch up at higher tier competition again, playing the 13-13 double A Berkeley Springs. The Indians have racked up wins against Hampshire, Martinsburg, and Petersburg. Pendleton County drove the game against a solid opponent into extra innings before succumbing 10-7.
Saturday saw the Wildcats playing three games. Pendleton County took on a Greenbrier West squad that boasted an 18-0 record, according to the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, before dropping an 11-5 loss to the Wildcats. Pendleton County’s hitting and pitching, combined with seven errors by the opponent, sealed the huge upset.
Greenbrier West scored the first two runs in the first two innings, but the Wildcats picked up three in the top of the third. Two in the bottom of the third and one in the bottom of the fourth gave Greenbrier West a 5-3 lead, but an eight run sixth set the final at 11-5 for the Wildcats.
Allie Vance pitched four strong innings for the Wildcats, giving up five. Baylee Beachler dealt the last three, allowing no hits or runs. Jenna Smith went 2-3 with three RBIs and a walk. Lizzie Alt went 1-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Game two on Saturday gave the Wildcats revenge over Hedgesville. They saw another close result, but this time in favor of Pendleton County. After the first four scoreless innings, the Wildcats broke the tie with a single run in the bottom of the fifth, followed by another in the bottom of the sixth. The Wildcats tied it in the top of the seventh and shut down the Eagles in the bottom half, extending the game into extra innings.
A run in the bottom of the ninth sealed the win for the surging Wildcats, 3-2.
