By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
Petersburg won the inaugural Burke & Herbert Bank Alumni Baseball Clash 11-10 over the Yellow Jackets last Friday in Petersburg.
This event is a fundraiser for the baseball programs at Moorefield and Petersburg high schools.
Moorefield Baseball alumni included: Brent Metheny, Gabe Weese, Alex Miller, Holden Sions, Tyler Hicks, Shawn Hibbard, Lane Ours, Tucker Smith, Jay Alleshouse, Westly Martinez, Randall Ours, Trevor Markwood, Kellan Snyder and Bryce Hines.
Petersburg Baseball alumni included: Garrett Vanmeter, Jami Rohrbaugh, Brandon Bell, Chase Feaster, Bumby Vanmeter, Blake Loy, Josh Wratchford, Payton Tingler, Dawson Tingler, Clay Arbaugh, Richard Mongold, Charlie Moomau, Nate Travis, Jesse Earle, Chase Ault, Brian Mahr, Wes Alt and Chad Cooper.
The starting pitchers were Gabe Weese (Moorefield) and Payton Tingler (Petersburg).
Moorefield pitching staff also included Bryce Hines, Holden Sions and Shawn Hibbard.
Hines played for Alderson Broaddus University before transferring to Davis & Elkins College.
The Yellow Jackets catchers were Alex Miller and Westly Martinez.
Miller is competing for Hood College and Martinez played at Potomac State College.
“This means a lot. Moorefield treated me like family since day one, when I moved here from Puerto Rico. They always treated me like one of their own, so this is a blessing. To get this invite, it is an honor to represent Moorefield anywhere. I am glad and ready to go next year. The intensity was 10 out of 10. It is always good to come back to the field and share it with ex-teammates or people who were big time players for Moorefield. The competition is still there in all of us, so we are going to stay healthy and come back next year,” Moorefield alum Westly Martinez commented.
Petersburg recognized Grant County Little League baseball and softball teams.
Four Burke & Herbert Bank representatives threw out ceremonial first pitches to the Little League players.
Tingler kept Moorefield off the base path for the first two innings with three strikeouts and fielded two groundouts.
Moorefield shortstop Tucker Smith fired the ball to first baseman Shawn Hibbard for an out in the first inning and manager-player Brent Metneny said that was why he was a good manager knowing where to place players. Metheny came in later in the game playing at third base and batting.
Metheny played for James Madison University and was selected to the Dukes Hall of Fame leading the program in games played, career at bats, runs scored, total bases, RBIs and plate appearances. Metheny played in the farm systems for the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox in addition to independent professional leagues including a stint as a manager in the Frontier League.
Moorefield’s Randall Ours was a coach-player and smashed a two-RBI double with the bases loaded.
Randall’s son Lane started as the right fielder and is a graduate of Waynesburg University with plans on playing independent professional baseball.
Petersburg took a 2-0 lead in the second inning as Charlie Moomau hit an RBI single and there was a bases loaded walk to Richard Mongold.
Weese recorded two strikeouts in the second inning and Tucker Smith made a diving slide and throw for a fielder’s choice out to end the frame off the bat of Chase Feaster.
Moorefield rallied to tie the game in the third inning starting with a single by Markwood.
After a strikeout, Sions recorded an RBI on a fielder’s choice.
There was a sacrifice bunt by Hicks, then Weese reached base on an error and plated Sions on a wild play.
Sions tripped heading to home plate, then crawled the rest of the distance with an errant throw coming as he slapped home plate for the tie, 2-all.
Petersburg’s Jesse Earle blasted a two-run home run for a 4-2 advantage in the third inning off Moorefield pitcher Bryce Hines.
“To be able to come back and play the sport you love is always a good time with guys you grew up with, played with and played against. Those two home runs, I’d rather be lucky than good. Obviously, at this age it feels better to jog than run. It is for the kids, the high school kids and that’s the most important thing. It was a good time and I was able to reconnect with a lot of people. I am glad everybody got together. Bragging rights are always good when Petersburg and Moorefield play, but now it becomes an alumni thing and it is a good cause for the kids playing now,” Petersburg alum Jesse Earle remarked.
Hines notched two strikeouts close out the frame.
Moorefield’s Lane Ours smashed a solo home run in the fourth inning to close the gap to 4-3.
“It is an awesome culture being back with all the guys from all the ages and different generations. Playing with guys who won the first state championship here and being with the guys here. I wish we could have gotten more of the guys here our age, because they were loaded with guys our age. It means a lot coming together as a community and to do it for a great cause. I am thankful to be part of this helping the baseball programs. We had the lead there with a couple singles up the middle and had old 52-year old dad deliver an absolute bomb off the fence. He probably hadn’t hit a ball in 10 years and hit a 350-yard bomb off the fence. The was a pretty cool rally, but unfortunately we couldn’t hold it off in the end, but that’s baseball for you. I had never hit a home run at this field in my entire four-year career, so it was pretty special hitting one today, especially off a legendary pitcher. That was the furthest I have hit the ball in my career. That was a fun game,” Moorefield alum Lane Ours stated.
Petersburg got three strikeouts in that frame against the Yellow Jackets.
Vikings runner Clay Arbaugh singled and was thrown out by Moorefield center fielder Trevor Markwood attempting to created a double.
Tingler smacked a double and was stranded on the pond.
Moorefield’s Alex Miller and Randall Ours drew walks before a double steal on a wild pitch in the fifth inning.
The Yellow Jackets tied the game as Markwood recorded an RBI groundout and a second RBI was denied at home plate during that sequence, 4-all.
Moorefield’s Holden Sions came in to pitch.
The Vikings reordered three RBI singles in a row by Wratchford, Mongold and Vanmeter, but a flyout and strikeout closed the frame with Petersburg up 7-4 entering the sixth inning.
In the sixth inning, Moorefield’s Kellan Snyder garnered an RBI groundout plating Smith who had been hit by a pitch earlier, 7-5.
Petersburg answered with a solo home run crushed by Earle, 8-5.
The Yellow Jackers swarmed in the seventh inning stinging the Vikings with five runs to take a 10-8 edge.
Moorefield loaded the bases as Lane Ours was hit by a pitch and walks were issued to Alleshouse and Miller.
Randall Ours ripped a two-run producing double to the fence to slice the deficit to 8-7.
Martinez kept the momentum going for the Yellow Jackets buzzing for a two-RBI single to take a 9-8 lead.
Metheny smacked an RBI single to give Moorefield the 10-8 lead.
Hibbard came in to pitch for Moorefield In the bottom of the seventh inning.
Lane Ours was now the first baseman and stretched to haul in a throw from Smith for the first out.
Bumby Vanmeter launched a double into center field, the Blake Loy was hit by a pitch.
“It was a great time for everybody. Everybody got a chance to come out and play. It felt real good to get the bragging rights, especially after losing my senior year to them. It was good to come back to play and get a win. It is nice to help our baseball programs,” Petersburg alum Bumby Vanmeter noted.
Hibbard fielded a grounder for the second out.
Petersburg tied the game as Chase Ault plated two runs with the help of an error.
There was an error on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Moomau
The Vikings completed the rally with a game-winning , walk-off RBI single by Rorhbaugh to claim the Burke & Herbert Bank Alumni Baseball Clash trophy with an 11-10 win in the inaugural year.
