By Stephen Smoot
The game started off with bright blue skies and a sun beaming in from behind left field. As the game commenced, however, a far off fire siren reminded all in attendance of the smoking perils ranging up and down both the South Branch and Shenandoah Valleys.
Pendleton County started with the young left handed pitcher, Cole Harper. He issued a walk to the first hitter, but soon settled in. His defense earned a double play in the next at bat, giving him an opportunity to successfully strike out the side.
Allden Rexrode opened up the bottom of the first for Pendleton County. He worked the pitcher to a full count, then sliced a shot to deep right field for a stand up double. During the next at bat with Chase Owens, Rexrode stole second, then scored on a base hit to center field.
James Vincell followed Owens on the basepaths when the third baseman mishandled his ground ball. Two batters later, Dillon Smith drew a walk on seven pitches.
Harper then pulled a shot to deep right field with the bases loaded, somehow knocking over the outfield fence in the process. Two more runs scored, pushing the lead to 3-0.
Caleb Armentrout drew a walk to put runners at second and third, followed by Dusty Smith who grounded a ball to second, but earned a sacrifice run batted in to put the lead at 4-0. Although the Wildcats ended up batting around, they scored no more runs in the inning.
By the second inning, clouds covered what little warmth the sun offered, and made the wind practically winterlike. Owens knocked down a sharply hit ball to short to prevent extra bases. Harper then struck out the next two batters and got the final Bath batter to ground out to end the second.
Pendleton County once again pounded Bath pitching in the second inning. Owens led off with a base hit straight up the middle. At this point, the Bath pitcher started struggling with control, tossing many pitches either very high or very low. Vincell walked on four straight pitches. The pitcher recovered enough to get out the next two batters.
With two outs and men on second and third, Harper once again hit a towering shot to deep right, this time failing to topple the fence. He did, however, drive in two runs on his second straight stand up double. Armentrout, Dusty Smith, and Josiah Kimble all followed with walks to load the bases for Rexrode, who slammed a double to right, extending the advantage to 9-0.
In the top of the third, Bath put two runners on, but could not get them across. They did bring in a relief pitcher with an unusual arm motion and a faster pace of work.
For the next two innings, Bath silenced the Wildcat bats. For the top of the fifth, Pendleton County head coach Sam Yokum called upon Owens to move from short to pitch. He methodically set the side down in order, serving up the opportunity for an early conclusion on a platter.
In the bottom of the inning, Owens once again came up big, drawing a leadoff walk on five pitches. Vincell followed with a walk.
Two batters later came Dillon Smith to the plate with runners on first and second. He hit the first pitch foul, then took a ball. The one ball and one strike pitch was fouled off, once again putting him behind in the count.
He fouled off the next four pitches, then took a ball low. The runners then moved up to second and third. The next pitch gave Dillon Smith a full count that he smacked for a ground ball single after a well-worked at bat. The first run kicked in the mercy rule
Owens went two for three at the plate, Harper two for two, and Rexrode two for three.
Against Notre Dame in the season opener, as Max Preps reports, Owens pitched three perfect innings and scored two runs. Dusty Smith went one for three at the plate. James Vincell and Allden Rexrode both went three for four, while Cashton Kisamore went two for three. Caleb Armentrout and Dillon Smith both hit once in three at bats.
Rexrode and Kisamore also took the mound for Pendleton County
In the game, the Wildcats fought off the unlucky Irish 11-3, ruining the Clarksburg team’s St. Patrick’s Day.
