Knights, ‘Cats battle weather and opponents
Weather and field conditions have played a major role in the progress of baseball seasons here in the Ohio Valley with Tyler Consolidated and Paden City both facing setbacks because of it. With a wet Spring being forecast, both teams can unfortunately expect more of the same in the coming few weeks.
Tyler Consolidated
On April 6 at home against Beallsville, the Silver Knights of Tyler Consolidated collected their first win of the season, 14-10.
In the high scoring affair, the Knights got off to an excellent start, plating two runners in the first inning and six in the second to take a demanding, 8-1 lead early in the game. Though the home team added two more runs to their side of the scoreboard in the third, the Blue Devils took advantage a few miscues to cross the plate a couple of times to score five.
Beallsville scored their 10 runs on six hits and committed three errors. Tyler Consolidated scored 14 runs on 11 hits and committed four errors.
The Knight defense would hold on for the 14-10 win though, getting their first notch of the season in the win column.
Senior Blaise Rice took the win on the mound for the Silver, striking out two and walking three. Dalton Wells also saw time at the first position, striking out six and walking four. Both pitchers were caught by senior, Garrett Amos behind the mask.
Offensively, Zack Knowlton singled twice for the home team, batting two runs in; Rice doubled for three RBI’s; Wells singled and double for one RBI; Koty Martin hit two doubled and a single for two RBI’s; Amos and Justin Carpenter each singled.
Tyler Consolidated will host Williamstown on April 13 and will play at Valley on April 15.
Paden City
The Paden City Wildcats hosted a double header with Frontier on Saturday, falling short of the win in both games, 17-5 and 20-5.
James Baker took the loss on the mound in the first game, but Jamie Billiter and Zach Yost also saw time at the pitchers position.
“We’re very young and very experienced,” said head coach of the ‘Cats, Brent Croasmun. “We’re going to be on the wrong side of some scores this season until we get our footing and figure out some things. We saw some good things happen as well in this game, it wasn’t all bad news. We had five hits and only committed one error.”
Baker singled for an RBI; Taylor Still singled for an RBI; Jared Stewart doubled for two RBI’s, and Ben Anderson doubled to knock one run in.
In the second game, Wildcat freshman, Kyle Postlethwait started on the mound and went four innings before Trey Leonard took over in relief. Billiter finished the game in the pitcher’s position.
“We were doing better in the second game,” the coach said. “The score was 3-3 in the third inning and only 7-5 in the fourth. But errors cost us dearly.”
At the plate, junior Jared Stewart prompted some cheers from the home town folk as he smacked a solo home run in the third. Stewart also singled to bring home another run. Baker singled for an RBI.
The Wildcats will host Beallsville on April 14 and Bridgeport on Saturday.