Pendleton County is 0-7 against Jefferson since May of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The Wildcat will welcome the Cougars at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Pendleton County's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They blew past Bath County 11-0. The result was nothing new for the Wildcat, who have now won seven contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Chase Owens made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Pendleton County is 2-1 when Owens posts eight or more strikeouts, but 7-13 otherwise. Owens was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Caleb Armentrout
| 05/07/25 vs Bath County | 3 |
| 05/02/25 @ Tucker County | 2 |
| 03/27/25 @ Bath County | 2 |
| 04/23/25 @ Tygarts Valley | 1 |
| 04/16/25 vs Moorefield | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
In other batting news, Caleb Armentrout was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Pendleton County's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 6-14 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Cole Harper, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Pendleton County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .533. They are 6-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Jefferson faced Frankfort in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Cougars came out on top against the Falcons by a score of 5-2.
Jefferson also got a great performance from Jett Gross as he tossed 6.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Braedon Oviedo, who went 1-for-2 with one home run. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season.
Jefferson's victory bumped their record up to 22-3-1. As for Pendleton County, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 9-14.
Pendleton County suffered a grim 16-2 defeat to Jefferson when the teams last played back in April of 2022. Can the Wildcat avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
