Moorefield pushed Martinsburg to the brink, but Truett Watts and H2O shocked Moorefield in the end to claim three straight junior league baseball state titles.
Moorefield Junior League Baseball entered the state tournament in Huntington as the District 6 champion, but longtime nemesis and District 6 runner-up Martinsburg played the spoiler.
The state journey began in Huntington at Spring Valley High School for Moorefield earning a 7-1 win over Capital Midwestern.
Martinsburg got the upper hand in the second round over Moorefield 9-4.
Moorefield waded through a downpour and muddy conditions to splash past Princeton 24-7 to earn a rematch in the state championship against Martinsburg.
Due to unplayable field conditions, the state title series was moved to St. Albans High School near Charleston.
Moorefield needed to win twice to claim the crown.
Moorefield pitcher Dakon Taylor kept Martinsburg off-balanced, then stepped to the plate ripping the ball up the middle giving Payden Williams time to slide home for the game winning 3-2 score in the first championship contest.
Moorefield’s Eli Kidwell was on the mound pitching 22 innings and garnered four strikeouts to start the game.
Taylor picked up the win as the closer going 4.1 innings with seven strikeouts and allowing only two hits.
Jake Baldwin led Moorefield with two hits and two RBI in the win.
Martinsburg grabbed an initial 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Moorefield responded in the bottom half to take a 2-1 edge.
Truett Watts recorded an RBI double for that first run.
Moorefield’s Hunter Wimer singled with one out and Taylor was beaned by Martinsburg pitcher Bera Roberts.
Baldwin crushed a two-run producing double into left field for the Moorefield lead.
Martinsburg tied the game at 2-all in the second inning and nothing happened until the 7th inning heroic slide by Payden Williams.
The rain started to come down hard and played a big deciding factor as Moorefield’s top aces struggled to maintain grip on the ball and Martinsburg took full advantage in a 15-5 state championship win.
“The first game, we battled and kept it close. We knew we had good pitching and got out of some tough innings there. Came in and pulle dit off, got the walk-off there and was sitting well going into the second game. Dakon was huge for us. He was on fire today. However, that one inning with all the runs was when it started pouring rain. I had my best pitchers who can throw strikes in there. The rain came and with the turf mound, they were slipping and couldn’t find the strike zone. Tough break, one bad inning cost us the state championship,” Moorefield Junior League Baseball coach Adam Crites remarked.
Martinsburg pitcher Truett Watts was dominant on the mound in the second game to collect the crown against Moorefield and his cousins Keaton Watts (pitcher) and Eli Kidwell (catcher).
Truett and Keaton Watts faced off on the mound pitching for their respective teams.
Moorefield was up 2-0 in the second inning.
Moorefield’s Keaton Watts and Kaden Flinn jumped on the pond with the help of errors, then Eli Kidwell launched a rocket to center field and Flinn was caught in a fielder’s choice out.
Brantley Crites recorded an RBI groundout, then came in as a courtesy runner and brought home as Will See ripped an RBI singe to right field.
“The end of a chapter, finally. That pitcher they had threw hard and we couldn’t put the ball in play. Our M.O. all year was bunting, but we couldn’t see the ball. Once he was out, we knew we had a chance. [Huge inning] They brought in a new pitcher and I don’t know why and he struggled. We took pitches and walk after walk. Our dugout was wild and they thrive on that kind of atmosphere. This was the third straight state title for Moorefield Junior League and I am so happy my son got to be part of two of those championships. I wasn’t the coach last year, but this means so much. Moorefield is a really good team, but we were able to grab the momentum when it counted,” Martinsburg Junior League Baseball coach Scott Deeds said.
Evan Deeds notched an RBI single to tie the game for Martinsburg in the third inning.
Martinsburg made a cannon ball splash in the rain creating a wave of 12 runs in the fourth inning.
Moorefield had five pitchers on the mound in the state final including Williams Baldwin, Watts, Flinn and See with a combined total of five strikeouts and 15 walks issued.
Moorefield managed to buy back two runs in the bottom half, but the setback was too large.
Martinsburg put the championship boat on cruise control, 15-5.
Watts pitched 4.2 innings reaching the pitch limit with one strikeout total and four walks, then Leatherman sealed the state title with a laser tag at first base on a throw from shorstop Logan Close.
Taylor unleashed an RBI double plating Williams for the last Moorefield score in that championship loss.
The third time was the charm for Martinsburg’s three-peat, but Moorefield showed tremendous grit and determination.
“It was good and nerve racking. You only get this chance a couple times. I needed my teammates and when you are pitching, you have to have a good defense behind you. If they didn’t make the plays, we might not be standing here and would be the ones in the dugout. It was very special pitching against my family. You don’t get that chance very often. It is kind of sad you are competing against them and not with them. Our dugout was crazy and constantly yelling, it was fun especially when you are winning,” Martinsburg pitcher Truett Watts stated.
