Pendleton County had its swan song in the state baseball tournament in Huntington last week. In heat and humidity typical for that end of the state, but rare in the mountains, the Wildcats battled as hard as they could.
But what they met in their second game was a pitcher about as close to perfect as one gets. Luke Tagliente of the Sherman Tide brought with him a 13 win and no loss record. He allowed zero earned runs, eight walks, 20 hits, and struck out 99 during the course of the season. Tagliente had 18 total appearances on the year.
With that in mind, Pendleton County gave him as much trouble on the mound as he has faced all year, garnering two hits and two walks against the star hurler.
Travis Owens led off the game for the Wildcats and saw firsthand why Tagliente has dominated this year. The pitcher brought both velocity and movement on his fastball, striking out the Wildcat leadoff hitter.
Sam Yokum, head coach, after the game noted that “we ran into a wall. That pitcher, his ball has pop and it tails a lot.”
Jaxson Simon followed and went down quickly to no balls and two strikes. He then fouled a pitch straight back, normally a sign that the batter has timed the pitcher, which he had. Simon sliced the fifth pitch to him past third base and down the left field line. He reached base, but was caught in a run down by a wily throw to first for the second out.
Chase Owens patiently worked Tagliente to a walk, but the inning ended with a strikeout.
Sherman had some early success against pitcher Chase Owens. The first batter drove a triple to left and the fielder appeared to lose the ball in the sun. The next batter got a single and a run batted in. Then the third batter earned a walk.
Yokum had seen enough – of the Sherman player on second base not so subtly stealing the signs that Simon used to communicate with his pitcher. Catchers and pitchers will communicate what pitches they want to throw and the other team stealing those signs is a part of baseball. Once he went to the mound and reset what pitcher and catcher were doing, the Tide had a much more difficult time with Chase Owens’ pitching.
Mason Miller led off the top of the second with a triple of his own. Mason Harper came up next to bunt him over. Harper laid down a strong bunt on a squeeze play down the first base side that rolled a bit faster on turf than it would on grass and dirt. The turf-experienced Tide first baseman ran up and fielded it quickly, then gunned down Miller as he tried to slide in for the tying run.
Tagliente settled in and adjusted to the Pendleton County hitters and retired the side.
Sherman came out hitting in the bottom of the second, singling to lead off with the next batter sacrificing the lead off man into scoring position. Tagliente came up with a man on and hit a line drive to left that scored Sherman’s second run. The third run came on a double to center.
Chase Owens then induced the next two batters to fly out to left. The third out came as Travis Owens dove and secured the ball in his glove to end the inning.
Sherman got the Wildcats retired in order in the top of the third, then got the leadoff man on to start the bottom of the stanza. The Pendleton County pitcher bore down, getting the first two away via swinging strikeouts, getting the third to fly out to right.
Chase Owens led off the top of the fourth by earning a walk on five pitches, but the Sherman fielders helped Tagliente allow no more action from the Wildcats in the inning.
After the first out in the bottom of the fourth came through strikeout, Sherman’s second batter singled to get on base. The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission has established limits on pitch counts in baseball tournament play so Yokum sent Miller to the mound. Miller had stymied Class AA tournament qualifier Lincoln in the tune up game last week.
He stepped in against Sherman like he had not missed a beat.
Although Miller walked the first batter he faced, Simon gunned down a base steal attempt by firing quickly to Cohen Hiett at second. Miller gave up a single to the next batter, but induced a soft pop fly out to close the inning.
The Tide rolled through Wildcat batters in order in the top of the fifth. Miller put on a show in the bottom of the inning. He struck out the first batter with a breaking ball that arced high enough to make the batter duck, then dropped neatly into the strike zone. The next batter drove the ball to left for a stand up double.
Miller’s second out of the inning produced more dramatics. He battled the hitter through 11 pitches to a full count, then painted the lower outside corner to strike him out looking. A soft grounder to short ended the inning.
Pendleton County could get no traction in the top of the sixth, but remained within striking distance as Wildcat pitchers silenced the Sherman offense. The Tide got a runner on with one out in the bottom of the frame and Travis Owens came in to pitch. The next batter up hit a quick comeback shot to the pitcher, which was fielded deftly. He wheeled to get the lead run at second and the double play was successfully turned, giving the Wildcats one more chance.
Tagliente, however, was dialed in and ruthlessly efficient, seemingly much stronger in the seventh than he had appeared in the first two. Pendleton County could not defeat him, but then again no one else this season has either. He made the 3-0 from the second inning on seem an insurmountable wall to clime with his ruthless efficiency.
“It was hard fought all the way,” said Yokum. He added, “There are no easy ones here.” He praised his pitchers and defense for slamming the door shut on the Sherman offense after the three runs scored early.
“All season long I have been hoping and praying for these young guys to have this opportunity,” said Yokum. He has always put great stock in getting innings played in challenging environments, none more so than state tournament action and added, “We’re young. We’re going to be back.”
As the field was cleared to prepare for the next game, players and coaches moved to the right field corner under the 330 sign. They talked for a long time, then knelt, held hands, and prayed. The team had every reason to be proud of their season, how they reached the playoffs, and beating one of the best teams in their class once there. These were the kinds of memories that, once made, endure long after the bats and balls are put away.
After the prayer, they lingered a few more minutes, then filed up the ramp to the welcoming arms of their proud parents and fans before the long drive back over the mountains to Pendleton County.
