By: Adam Freeman
The Wildcats of Tucker Valley’s middle school baseball team played two tough opponents this past week, falling just short against Tygarts Valley and holding on to upset Pendleton. Tucker started the week playing Tygarts Valley. Tucker was up 6-3 heading into the third inning, where the Wildcats allowed seven runs.
That inning proved to be the difference as the Wildcats fell 10-9.
Tucker collected 13 hits in the game, with Quinton Teter and Rylan Sexton each accounting for four, Sawyer Supak had two hits, with Bentley Haddix, Asher Kisamore, and Braylon Simmons all adding one hit each.
The Wildcats then would play host to Pendleton County; a team Tucker had never beaten since the program’s inception. Tucker found themselves trailing in the game early on, as the Wildcats were down 4-1 heading into the sixth inning when Tucker exploded for nine runs to take a 10-4 advantage.
Pendleton would continue to battle in the top of the seventh and last inning, scoring four more runs. Seventh grader, Luke Lantz stepped to the mound with two outs and runners on base, throwing just one pitch to earn the save as the batter flew out, to end the game, 10-8. Quinton Teter earned the win for Tucker, pitching 4-1/3 innings and striking out seven batters. On the offensive side of the ball, Asher Kisamore and Wade Boyles led the way with three hits each, two of Kisamore’s being doubles. Haddix, Lantz, and Tristan Pitzer all three contributed two hits apiece. With the win, Tucker’s record sits at 2-2 on the season, with a rematch against Pendleton looming in Franklin next week on Tuesday, April 14th.
