By Stephen Smoot
The newly minted ninth ranked Pendleton County Wildcats tested their ranking last week against Potomac Valley Conference rival Tucker County.
They played in near-perfect conditions for outdoor sports, comfortably warm and breezy, but mostly cloud covered to keep the sun at bay.
Cooper Smith took the mound for the Wildcats on this day. As of publication time, Smith has a record of one and one with a 4.20 earned run average. He has struck out 12 so far this season in four appearances.
The first batter who stepped in to face Smith struck out swinging on the sixth pitch. Smith allowed a walk in the inning, but shut down the Mountain Lions from that point.
Travis Owens led off for the home team and lofted a ball into middle right field where the Tucker County outfielder gloved it on the run in a solid play. Chase Owens came up next and fired a line drive to the left field corner for a stand up double. Jaxon Simon took three straight balls, during the course of which, Chase Owens stole third base. Simon walked. Mason Miller got behind no balls and one strike with runners at the corners. During his at bat, Simon took second base. Miller then got a bit behind a pitch and sent it sailing into the outfield for a sacrifice and a run batted in, as Chase Owens tagged at third and scored.
With a runner in scoring position at second, Cole Harper patiently waited for a pitch to hit and ended up with a base on balls. At this point, however, the Wildcats had started the game getting the bat on the ball, but not to open spots on the diamond. The timing on the swings was a bit off, creating a lot of fly balls early on.
Smith returned in the top of the second, allowed a hit, but still prevented any runs. The third out came when Smith fooled the batter on a one ball and no strike pitch, resulting in a soft tap to short and an easy toss for the out.
As Pendleton County started the bottom of the second, their turn to bat, Sam Yokum, head coach and always the teacher, instructed his players to “hit the high side of the ball” to turn the first inning’s towering flies in fair territory into line drives and hard hit ground balls.
After securing the first out, the Tucker County pitcher then walked Smith, Noah Lockard, and Travis Owens to load the bases. Chase Owens then took the first pitch to him and powered a line drive seemingly straight through the outstretched glove of the third baseman. Two runs scored to push the lead to 3-0.
With two on, Simon drew a walk to reload the bases. Miller followed by driving the first pitch to him on a deep foul to center, allowing the runner on third to tag and score. Scoring in the inning closed off at that point.
In the Mountain Lion half of the third, the first and third batters walked, but the second and fourth struck out swinging. Smith got the second out as the batter swung and missed on strike three. At the same time, the lead runner tried a steal to third, but Lockard’s throw picked him off for the unusual double play that ended the half-inning.
Cashton Kisamore walked to lead off the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Lockard drew a walk to put men on first and second. Travis Owens picked up the run batted in opportunity by driving a double into left field, bringing in two runs for a 5-0 advantage. Chase Owens took a base on balls to load the bases.
Simon watched four pitches get called outside the strike zone and picked up an RBI on his walk. Miller followed with a three RBI double on a deep fly to center. He hustled hard to get himself into scoring position at second base. Harper then sent a single into left, but not far enough to score a run. On the throw, he advanced to second, leaving room for Mason Harper when, as the next batter, he got dinged by a pitch.
Once again, a Pendleton County batter came up with the bases full of teammates. Kisamore drove a liner into left for a single, sending home two runs for an 11-0 lead. A Smith single in the next at bat sent a runner home and upped the run total to 12. Two batters later, Ty Armentrout came in to pinch hit. He got down one ball and two strikes, but battled his way to a full count, grounded to third, reached safely on an error, and picked up two RBIs.
The inning concluded with the Wildcats holding a 14-0 lead. Cohen Hiett came into the game to pitch. He got the first batter to fly out in a single pitch, struck out the second on three, then got the third in a ground out to retire the side in order.
In the final inning, Bryce Propst sent the first pitch to him into center field for a single. Connor Hartman sent a solid line drive into center to set up Wyatt Haynes with men on first and second. Haynes swung on the first pitch, singled, and loaded the bases. Cayden Boone stepped to the plate and sacrifice grounded to second, sending in a run for a 15-0 lead.
Hiett then capped off an incredible game for the freshman. After pitching a perfect inning, he stepped in with two men on and Pendleton County needing a single run to close out the game on the mercy rule.
He got his bat behind the pitch and drove it over the center fielder’s head. All baserunners, including Hiett, circled the bases and made it home. The three run, inside the park home run, ended the game at 18-0.
The rest of the week was not so welcoming. Later that evening Hampshire, enjoying a strong season with big recent wins over Keyser and Frankfort, defeated the Wildcats 7-3. Pendleton County also dropped a game midweek to Moorefield.
In the McDonald’s Classic, the Wildcats took the loss to The Linsley School, which has 11 wins on the season, including a win over University. They also hung tight with Class AAA North Marion before losing late, 13-10.
The schedule through the end of the season remains daunting. Of games remaining, only Paw Paw and Tygarts Valley are Class A. Other games see the Wildcats battlin Keyser, Berkeley Springs, Petersburg twice, Elkins twice, and also a home game against Class AAAA Jefferson in May.
