By Stephen Smoot
A thousand things can derail a team of destiny. Unexpected bad weather, lengthy delays that can kill a team’s edge, or the nerves that come with performing against the best on the sport’s biggest stage.
To help their teams keep focus as distractions and diversions pile up, great coaches do what they must to maintain the kind of focus that brought success before so the team can fulfil that destiny.
After all a state title comes as a culmination of many years of work, individually and collectively, toiling away in the frigid cold and boiling heat, building both skills and teamwork.
All of it leading to those precious minutes basking in the realization after the fact that they did indeed reach what almost every other team in the state regarded as the unreachable star.
Pendleton County’s softball squad had not reached the state tournament in a decade, but the players enjoyed repeated familiarity in competing against the best in the state within the not always friendly confines of the Kanawha Valley. Some came with the volleyball team to Institute while others competed in the Charleston Civic Center in basketball.
Avery Townsend enjoyed the distinction of playing for all three squads.
Pendleton County faced a very familiar opponent in the title game, the same Wahama White Falcons that they had dispatched the previous evening by a score of 6-0. Just as the evening before, Baylee Beachler, who will play for Division I Robert Morris next season, took the mound for the Wildcats and set the opposition down in order in the top of the first.
Eric Crites, head coach, repeatedly gave credit to Susan Vincell’s innings of work in the first game, for which she took the win. Vincell gave Beachler enough rest that she could remain sufficiently rested so that she could frustrate Wahama twice.
The White Falcons’ initial pitch to lead-off hitter Townsend resulted in a bunt single. As Beachler took her place at the plate, Townsend leapt into action on the first offering to Beachler and stole second easily. The batter worked a full count, then drew a walk.
Potomac State commit Jenna Smith came up next and Wahama’s coaches called for a conference at the mound. Townsend moved off second and baited Wahama into a throw to third. She and Beachler advanced bases when the very next pitch got past the catcher. Smith grounded to short, driving the lead runner in and setting the score at 1-0.
Lizzie Alt came to the plate afterwards and knocked a ground ball to second, sacrificing herself and scoring Beachler for a two-run lead.
Wahama allowed no more damage in the initial half-inning. As the designated home team came up to bat, Pendleton County supporters greeted them with a loud “Let’s Go Wildcats” that resonated throughout the field.
The White Falcons singled to get the leadoff batter on first and sought to establish momentum on that. Excitement grew as the first two pitches to the next batter missed the strike zone, but Beachler induced her to smack a ground ball to Townsend at second. She dragged her foot over the base and fired the ball to Alt at first to complete the double play to the delight of supporters.
Beachler struck out the final Wahama hitter of the top of the second. In the bottom of the stanza, the Wildcats threatened again as Jaiden Mitts moved over multiple plays to third base with Townsend at the plate.
At this point a vanguard of dark gray clouds marched from the southwestern horizon over the sky. They drenched the field and everything else in a heavy rain, causing a delay that lasted well over an hour.
As all awaited the ending of the storm and the return of play, the opposing dugouts presented a remarkable contrast.
The White Falcons sat solemnly in their accommodations, backs to the field. Conversely, Pendleton County players cranked up the stereo and, for the second day in a row, regaled those in attendance with full-throated harmonies in tune with the music they brought with them.
They returned to the field at 4 p.m. with Mitts on third, Townsend at the plate, and two outs. A bunt foul with two strikes, however, closed the inning.
Wahama remained determined to flip the script and, once again, got the leadoff hitter on, this time via a walk on six pitches. The next batter laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to move the runner into scoring position. Beachler once again battened down the hatches, striking out the next batter. The final out came on a screaming line drive hit that Mitts moved forward to take almost effortlessly.
Beachler led off the bottom of the third, hitting a pitching wedge style shot that looped in directly behind third base. Smith once again took one for the team and grounded out on a sacrifice that sent Beachler into scoring position at second base.
Alt stood in next and drove the first pitch to the wall in deep center, Beachler scored and Alt strode standing into second. Next came Jessica Parker who laid her bat out for a bunt. The pitch hit the sweet spot on the bat and shot back almost to the grass between first and second. All reached safely, but Parker took advantage of defensive lack of focus to gain the extra base.
Parker’s hustle paid immediate dividends. Vincell lofted a single into right field, scoring Alt and sending Parker to third. Molly Rowe entered the game to pinch run for Vincell. She and Parker crossed home plate courtesy of a line drive shot to right by Chesnee Colaw, who rolled into first to the chant of “She’s a freshman!”
That set the game at the final score from the previous evening, 6-0. As it turned out, neither team was done scoring yet.
Beachler retired Wahama in the top of the fourth in order. The White Falcons changed pitchers and secured the first out, but Beachler sent the first pitch to her out to the center field wall for a stand up double. Lexy Tingler stood in for Beachler on the base paths.
With two outs and Tingler in scoring position, Alt returned to the plate. She gave up two quick strikes, but worked her way back to a full count. She fouled off three straight pitches to get a bead on the ball, then rocketed it out to the right center field wall, scoring Tingler and setting the score at 7-0.
In the top of the fifth, mercy rule elimination looming, Wahama battled to try and extend the game. While it takes an eight-run lead to kick in that rule in the fifth, the Wildcats had produced a slow drip of runs in almost every inning.
The White Falcons put their leadoff hitter on third and the next hitter drove her in with a single.
This represented the sole run scored against Pendleton County in the entire tournament. Beachler struck out the subsequent hitter and then got the final batter of the inning to roll the ball back to the pitcher for an easy out.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats put on a near perfect display of offense.
Vincell led off with a single to center. Wahama’s pitcher started showing signs of fatigue and the Wildcats took advantage. Colaw followed with a single to left, leaving runners at first and second.
Bella Lockard followed Colaw with one job, to sacrifice herself and move the runners over. On a no balls and two strikes count, Lockard successfully bunted the ball in play down the first base line and moved both runners into scoring position.
Julia Mongold came up after Lockard. She took one strike, then watched four straight pitches miss the strike zone.
The Wildcats returned to the top of the order with the bases loaded, two runs from ending the ball game. Townsend approached the plate.
Wahama knew that their pitcher had run out of steam and sent in a new hurler for the at bat that could end the game. The third pitch from the new pitcher just missed the outside corner of the strike zone to even the count at two.
The outfield played Townsend deep, determined to not allow anything by that would score more than one run should she hit it fair.
The fifth pitch of the at bat stayed true and was driven deep enough into right field to send Vincell and Colaw home.
With the score now 9-1, the mercy rule kicked in. This closed out the ballgame and made the dreams for these players of well over a decade come true. It also closed out the careers of a remarkable group of seniors, some of whom will take memories into their next phase of life, while others will draw on these experiences for the next chapter in their stories softball careers.
