Pendleton County chilled the Cougars with a 13-0 lead, but East Hardy warmed up despite the flurries of attacks to cut the deficit to two runs in a four hour marathon ending in a 17-15 victory for the Wildcats on Monday.
The Wildcats thrashed East Hardy with ten runs in the first inning including two home runs, but the Cougars refused to give up and fold for the night.
“We have been talking with them all season long not to give up and keep playing a full game. Put mistakes behind you and move on,” East Hardy skipper Eric Heflin noted.
“Here for the past two games, that’s what they have been doing and that’s all you can ask of them. They battled back from a 13-0 lead and ended up making it a two-run game. I’m proud of them for that. The older guys know what to do on base every time and these younger guys we are working with them. They are picking it up and getting better a little bit at a time and with stuff like this it shows.”
East Hardy pitcher Seth Smith was rocked on a leadoff home run by Pendleton County’s Addison Rexrode.
Smith issued a walk to Timothy Thorne, then Jared Lambert singled for the Wildcats.
After a groundout by Kole Puffenberger, Pendleton County’s Thomas Davis ripped a two-run producing double into left field arriving safely at second base as the ball was dropped.
A passed ball on a walk to Grant Evick put runners on the corners, then Evick stole second base.
Pendleton County’s Joshua Wagoner launched the ball just over East Hardy first baseman Adam Baker sending two runners home as the ball bounced down the line, 5-0.
After a meeting on the mound, Smith remained in the game and Pendleton County’s Kyle Kimble notched an RBI single into left field and Evan Kile singled into center field placing runners on the corners.
Rexrode stepped up and smashed his second home run, but this time with company aboard on the three-run shot for a 9-0 advantage.
The Cougars brought in Noah Miller to pitch and Thorne sent a greeting of a double into left field.
Lambert reached base on an error at first base and the throw home went awry as the Wildcats extended the lead to 10-nil before the side was retired on a pop-up and groundout.
“It was huge getting that lead. Anytime you play East Hardy, you know they are going to put a lot of balls into play and make a lot of things happen to score runs,” Pendleton County coach Sam Yokum remarked.
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“I told the guys, first of all coming out on the road and getting a big lead, that’s huge. I said secondly, you made the plays in the end to get the win. No coach wants to be up 13-0 and then lose, because that coach won’t sleep for weeks. Thirdly, understand the heart of that baseball team you just played right there. That baseball team had a ton of heart. A lot of teams down 13-0 could have packed it up and gone home after five innings, but that is a credit to East Hardy’s team. I knew it was going to happen and I thought we might have to put up 20 runs.”
Pendleton County pitcher Kyle Kimble jammed East Hardy leadoff batter Logan Whetzel for a pop-up to shortstop.
The Cougars got on base as Alex Miller reached on an error, then Andrew Tharp hit into a fielder’s choice.
East Hardy’s Brett Tharp singled as the Wildcats third baseman made a diving save to put runners on the corners before being stranded on a groundout hit by Noah Miller.
Pendleton County loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second inning as Evick and Wagoner walked and Kimble was hit by a pitch.
The Wildcats added three runs for a 13-0 advantage as Kile made an RBI sacrifice fly, Rexrode garnered an RBI single and Thorne notched an RBI sacrifice fly.
East Hardy finally started to melt the bats to weld six runs in the bottom of the second inning for a 13-6 score.
The Cougars quickly responded by loading the bases with no outs as Baker hit a leadoff single and stole second base, then Austin Alt was given a walk and Smith sliced a single.
A pop-up was nearly caught on a leap by catcher Kole Puffenberger, leaning back and the ball bounced out of the glove.
East Hardy’s Christian Dove stepped back into the batter’s box and plated a run on a fielder’s choice.
Whetzel garnered an RBI single, then Alex Miller walked.
Andrew Tharp crushed a bases clearing three-run double for the Cougars to make it 13-5 game.
After a strikeout, Noah Miller reached base on an error and Tharp scored on the play.
Pendleton County couldn’t make something happen after an error put Davis on the base path and was thrown out.
East Hardy chipped away at the lead as Whetzel connected for an RBI single plating Alt.
Entering the fourth inning, Pendleton County was up by six runs and added three more for a 16-7 advantage.
Thorne and Puffenberger garnered RBI singles and Davis hit an RBI sacrifice fly for the Wildcats before the side was ended on the second diving catch by East Hardy shortstop Brett Tharp.
The Cougars managed to score five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 16-12.
Dove hit a two-run producing double to send Baker and Alt home.
Whetzel and Alex Miller plated one run apiece with the assistance of errors, then Andrew Tharp punched in an RBI single.
Pendleton County earned one of the runs back with an RBI single by Kimble in the top of the fifth inning.
Alt reached on an error and Smith was walked with two outs, but both were left on base on a strikeout by Rexrode.
In the sixth inning, the Cougars were still thawing out by heating home plate with three more runs.
Whetzel notched a single and Alex Miller was given a walk, then Andrew Tharp made an RBI groundout.
Brett Tharp was intentionally walked, then Miller and Tharp scored on a wild pitch as the ball bounced off the backdrop and the pitcher and catcher argued during a live ball enabling Tharp to slide home for a 17-15 game.
Whetzel reached on a controversial error in the seventh inning as Pendleton County closer Timothy Thorne bobbled the ball and didn’t have his foot on first base, but three strikeouts in the frame froze the potential the comeback as the Wildcats escaped the tundra with the win.
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