Cancer Awareness Game: Pendleton County Softball vs Moorefield
By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
Petersburg pitcher Gracie Carpenter allowed only three hits with four strikeouts as the Vikings caged the Cougars with a 15-nil shutout in Baker on Saturday afternoon.
The Vikings embarked on a five run scoring first inning and kept the ship sailing to victory.
East Hardy starting pitcher Brooke Moyers permitted a leadoff single into center field by Petersburg’s Shyane Tawney before issuing a walk to Miley Tingler.
Moyers responded with a strikeout to the Vikings’ Ella Chew prior to hitting Ella Markwell with a pitch to load the bases.
Petersburg took advantage of the full bases as Addison Kitzmiller and Gracie Carpenter smashed back-to-back two-run producing singles into right field for a 4-nil lead.
Olivia Kimble came in as a courtesy runner for Carpenter, who reached second base on the previous play’s throw.
Kimble advanced on a passed ball and scored a run on a second pitch whisking behind Cougars catcher Gracie Heishman for a 5-0 lead.
Petersburg’s Blair Loy singled and Karlie DiBenedetto was hit by a pitch for two more base runners aboard, but they were stranded as Quenlynn Cole popped up to Moyers and Tawney hit a line drive to East Hardy third baseman Ginger Combs.
“Getting down early shook our confidence a little bit. Brooke [Moyers]was working through her pitches and trying to find the strike zone. She’s learning and growing everyday. We got off to a little bit of a rough start, a slow start, but I was glad that we hung in the game and kept playing the game and kept doing our jobs,” East Hardy Softball coach Noah Orndorff remarked.
“Our hitters have done a really nice job this year of not extending the strike zone and swinging at unhittable pitches. I am really pleased with that and that has led to them working the pitcher, having her have to work each pitch. Going forward, I would like to see us be more aggressive at the plate with pitches that are hittable. Ginger [Combs] had a good zip on her ball and was throwing strikes. She is a great leader for us and is vocal and she keeps her head up all the time. She is exactly what we need as a pitcher.”
East Hardy’s first turn at the plate would yield just one base runner.
Carpenter induced a groundout by East Hardy leadoff batter Addison Armentrout, then struck out Gracie Heishman.
Brooke Moyers reached base on an error for the Cougars, but was stranded on a groundout by Ginger Combs.
During the top of the second inning, Petersburg’s Tingler and Chew received free passes before Markwell popped out.
The Vikings added to the lead as Kitzmiller notched an RBI groundout to Combs and Carpenter smacked an RBI single into right field extending the lead to 7-0.
After two stolen bases, East Hardy left fielder Paylynn Rexrode made the final catch of the frame.
The Cougars went down in order April Dove popped out to third base, Chelsea Mills struck out and Jaylynn Combs grounded out.
East Hardy sent in relief pitcher Ginger Combs at the start of the third inning and induced a groundout before issuing a walk to Cole.
Tawney crushed an RBI double into center field to give the Vikings an 8-0 lead.
Combs countered with a strikeout, then Tawney scored on a passed ball.
Chew smashed a double down the left field line, then scored on Markwell’s towering hit into center field where the ball ricocheted off Taylor McReynolds’ glove creating a 10-nil advantage.
The next Vikings batter was thrown out at first base on a dropped third strike with Heishman tossing to Jaylynn Combs.
McReynolds grounded out on a very close play for the Cougars to begin the bottom of the third inning.
After a strikeout to Paylynn Rexrode, Armentrout connected for a single as the ball eluded the third baseman.
Armentrout stole second and third bases prior to being stranded on a strikeout by Carpenter to Heishman.
Petersburg started the fourth inning with a groundout, then Cheyenne Sites reached base as her shot up the middle deflected off Combs in the circle.
Olivia Kimble garnered an RBI single into right field to put the Vikings up 11-0 and stole second base moments later.
Cole was given a walk, then Tawney hit a laser caught by Cougars first baseman Jaylynn Combs and Cole just narrowly eluded the tag for a double play diving back to the base.
Ginger Combs pitched a walk to Petersburg’s Lacey Moyers to load the bases and the runners were stranded on a fielder’s choice by Armentrout dashing to second base.
East Hardy started the bottom half of the fourth inning with a groundout by Moyers.
The Cougars responded with a double by Ginger Combs down the right field line.
East Hardy failed to score as Dove and Mills grounded out.
Petersburg’s Markwell was hit by a pitch and Kinsley Crites was issued a walk to commence the fifth inning, then Carpenter plated a run with the help of an error at first base.
Sites smacked an RBI single up the middle to give the Vikings a 13-0 advantage.
Armentrout caught a line drive for the first out, then Petersburg countered with back-to-back RBI singles by Cole and Tawney for a 15-nil lead.
East Hardy got out of the frame as Combs pitched a strikeout and McReynolds covered a lot of ground to catch a fly ball.
East Hardy’s Jaylynn Combs delivered a single into shallow right field, then McReynolds hit into a double play.
Rexrode received a walk for the Cougars, but was stranded in a groundout by Armentrout to end the game with the Vikings sailing away with a 15-0 win.
