In a battle of Class A Top-10 baseball teams, No. 4 Moorefield commandeered an early six-run lead on the way to knocking down the No. 9 Wildcats with an 8-2 victory last Wednesday at George Hott Field.
The Yellow Jackets extended a seven-game winning streak to improve to 9-3, while snapping Pendleton County’s five-game winning streak as the Wildcats fell to 5-2.
“Our hits were certainly timely with two outs. We scored several runs in one inning with two outs,” Moorefield skipper Wade Armentrout commented.
“We had to make some adjustments to the pitching a little bit, stay back and keep our weight back so we weren’t popping some balls up. Once we could get our timing set, it helped out giving Blake [Watts] some run support and Isaac [Van Meter] came in and threw a good game. Our confidence was good coming into this game, knowing Pendleton County is a good team and you have to play well.”
Pendleton County leadoff batter Addison Rexrode, who hit two home runs against the Cougars on Monday, launched a full-count pitch off Moorefield pitcher Blake Watts and the ball was caught by center fielder Jake Ours.
Watts struck out Timothy Thorne before the Wildcats responded with consecutive singles by Jared Lambert and Kole Puffenberger, but the threat was neutralized as Watts fanned Thomas Davis.
Pendleton County pitcher Thomas Davis struck out Moorefield leadoff batter Brent Moran, but the Yellow Jackets answered on a single by Garett Haggerty which took a wicked hop past third base.
After a flyout by Watts and a failed pickoff creating a stolen base, Davis ended the inning sending Jake Ours to the dugout.
In the top of the second inning, Pendleton County’s Grant Evick reached second base on an error by third baseman Hayden Baldwin before Watts walked Joshua Wagoner.
Moorefield right fielder Derek Hoyt caught a fly ball, then Watts closed the frame with two strikeouts.
Baldwin sent the ball flying deep into center field, but it was caught to start the bottom half of the inning.
Moorefield’s Isaac Van Meter squeezed a grounder into left field for a single and advanced on a groundout sacrifice by Matthew Mongold.
Hoyt reached on an error to put runners on the corners, then stole second base.
Lane Ours smashed a three-run home run to give the Yellow Jackets a 3-0 edge.
Moran ripped the ball into right field and turned the play into a triple sliding safely to Coach Armentrout’s corner.
Haggerty followed with an RBI double smacked into left field to extend the lead to 4-nil.
Puffenberger came in as the Wildcats pitcher and Watts knocked an RBI single up the middle.
Moorefield’s Jake Ours hit a deep ball into center field with the dugout shouting ‘ahh’ in the hopes of a home run knowing he had the power of two grand slams so far this season and the ball landed in play for an RBI double, 6-0.
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Baldwin bunted down the first base line and Puffenberger collected the ball, then reached out to make the tag and the impact of the collision jarred it loose and still had time to field it again throwing to first base for the out.
Moorefield first baseman Matthew Mongold chased down a pop-up for a catch just beyond the dugout making the initial out of the third inning.
Watts issued a walk to Lambert, then catcher Lane Ours attempted to throw him out at second base and the ball sailed high into the glove of Moran leaping up as Lambert rolled in the dirt to the base.
Another walk was given to Puffenberger before Mongold snatched the second pop-up.
Evick plated Lambert on an error by Van Meter, who made a throw over to second base a little too late.
Wagoner tapped the ball just over Van Meter for an RBI single to cut the deficit to 6-2 prior to Watts getting out of the frame with a strikeout.
Van Meter drew a full-count walk by Puffenberger to begin the bottom of the third inning and pinch runner Logan Wolfe came into the game and swiped second base.
Wolfe advanced to third base on a groundout by Mongold and scored on a fielder’s choice hit by Hoyt with the ball eluding the catcher.
A pickoff attempt wasn’t in time to snag Hoyt as the dugout shouted ‘back’ and ‘stay there’ as first baseman Thomas Davis held the ball waiting for him to take a lead.
Moorefield’s Lane Ours singled into left field and the Yellow Jackets switched out several pinch runners before deciding on Jaydon Moore.
Moran smacked a blooper past first base to juice the bases, but Moorefield stranded the pond dwellers on a fielder’s choice and strikeout.
Watts started the fourth inning with a strikeout, then Rexrode hit laser down the right field line where Hoyt chased it and denied an attempt for a triple as Baldwin made the catch and tag as Rexrode slammed his hands on the ground in disbelief.
Thorne reached on an error at shortstop and Lambert singled into left field, then the Yellow Jackets sent Van Meter to the mound and Hoyt caught the fly ball by Puffenberger to prevent a score.
Van Meter singled with two outs and Thomas Williams drew a walk before being left on base on a flyout.
Van Meter put Pendleton County down in order during the fifth inning sandwiching groundouts around a strikeout.
Cameron Kisamore chased down a pop-up in shallow right field off the bat of Lane Ours, diving for it before catching a line drive by Moran.
Rexrode issued a pair of walks to Haggerty (stole around to third base) and Watts, then a balk created a run sending Haggerty home for an 8-2 Moorefield advantage.
Jake Ours was thrown out at first base on a dropped third strike to end the frame.
In the sixth inning, Rexrode reached first base on a dropped third strike with the throw just off the mark with two outs before a fielder’s choice collected by Moran to Williams closed the door.
Baldwin was given a free pass and was advanced on a couple of sacrifice bunts by Van Meter and Williams before Ben O’Neill struck out.
Van Meter walked Lambert in the top of the seventh inning, then Hoyt caught a fly ball by Puffenberger on the right field line.
Baldwin chased down a foul ball beyond the Wildcats dugout for the second out, then fielded the final groundout to seal the victory.
“I liked the game for five and a half innings. I liked the game for that part,” Pendleton County coach Sam Yokum remarked.
“Early on we stranded two in the first inning and stranded two in the second inning and in the third inning we finally got some runs. We needed to come through with some hits. They have a really good hitting team, so you have to score. Two runs isn’t going to get it done. I thought our pitchers did an okay job, but we had a couple mistakes in that one inning and a good hitting team makes you pay. I think both teams played pretty well, but unfortunately it was a tough inning for us.”
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