By Stephen Smoot
Last year, the Keyser Golden Tornadoes powered their way to an 18 win season that showed their resurgence in recent years as a program. This year, competing in Class AAA, they have started off the season with three wins to no losses.
The first of those came against a Pendleton County team that prides itself on not shying away from bigger schools and tough competition.
Conditions at John Kruk Field last Thursday challenged both squads mightily. March often brings high winds to the Keyser area. Gusts plagued the field, driving dust into the faces of players on both sides. Without wind, the 50 degree temperatures would have been tolerable. On this day, winds made the temperatures feel quite chilly despite the clear skies.
The Wildcats struck first, with Cole Harper blasting a solo home run to start the season on the right note. Keyser answered back quickly, putting up three runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning.
Pitchers took the advantage in the third and fourth innings. Travis Owens picked up the first two outs by strikeout with Spencer Hartman fielding on the third to retire the side. In the next inning, a Golden Tornado player led off with a base on balls, but Owens mowed down the next three, getting the last two to strike out looking.
Before heading out to the top of the fifth inning, Sam Yokum, head coach, implored his squad to take a more aggressive posture at the plate, that they had “too many strikeouts looking.”
Keyser found its stride in the bottom of the fifth inning, starting the inning off with three consecutive line drives into center field, followed by a single that knocked in a run. The barrage gave the home team a 6-1 advantage.
Pendleton County bounced back, however. The next batter flied out to center field. After a bunt single put players on first and second, a strikeout and a fly ball to left field concluded the inning.
A Wildcat walk by Owens kicked off the top of the sixth. Caleb Armentrout watched as two wild pitches passed the plate, allowing Owens to reach third base. Armentrout then expertly sliced an opposite field single into right field, giving the baserunner the best chance to get home safely, which he did.
Chase Owens came up next and tapped a slow roller through the middle of the defense into left field. A wild pitch to the next hitter scored Pendleton County’s third run of the game.
Down 6-3, Harper hit a sacrifice to the pitcher, getting the first out to move the runner to third. Keyser at that point shut the Wildcats down for the remainder of the inning.
The Golden Tornadoes saw the visiting team move within striking distance, but put the game away in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs to extend the lead to 9-3.
In the top of the seventh, Jonas Turner earned a two-out walk, but could not advance. Keyser picked up the win in the opening game for both teams.
Beginning at 4:30 today, the Wildcats host Bath County, Virginia. They travel to Musselman on Saturday and then host two games, Tucker at 5 p.m. on Monday and East Hardy at 6 p.m. next Wednesday. The team travels to Bath County, Virginia, on A.
