It began with down pours of rain, making it seem that the season would never get started. Coach Chad McCoy and his Peebles 1 baseball squad thought they wouldn’t see the color of their blue uniforms in the sky. Finally when summer decided to heat up and get rolling, so did this C-League Team from Peebles. With their first game against White Oak-2 where they won by a score of 28-0 and then traveling to Manchester a few days later earning an 18-1 win over the Greyhounds. Coach McCoy had a feeling that this season might be one to remember.

Several of the teammates have played together since the early years of Tee-Ball. “They are the most dedicated group of boys a coach could ask for,” McCoy said. “We had long practices out on the field on typically hot days and still the boys never complained. And the parents are just as dedicated as the kids are, making sure they are at every practice, morning , evening, or even a noon Monday last minute practice.”

Later in the season was just as shocking to the Peebles fans as both of the West Union-1 and 2 teams along with Peebles 2 fell short of a victory against the Peebles 1 team. Now with the tournament bracket in every coach’s mind, the Indians had a record of 10-0. It was an opportunity to complete an undefeated season.

The team earned a number one seed and a bye for the first round gave Peebles a little more time to prepare. Defeating North Adams 1 in their first tournament game wasn’t good enough according to McCoy.

“It was a win, but you could tell the boys hadn’t played a game in awhile,” McCoy said.

The next game on the bracket involving Peebles 1 drew the biggest crowd of the year to a C league game. It was the two Peebles teams meeting up in the tournament. Sportsmanship was there that day on both sides, but when Brennan Barr, Alan McCoy and Tra’ Swayne scored in the first inning for Peebles 1 there was no looking back. Peebles 1 took the contest 10-2 which meant Peebles 2 and Manchester 1 had to battle out of the loser’s bracket to face Peebles 1 in the championship game.

After losing a close game to Peebles 2 earlier in the tournament Manchester 1 came out with a win, putting them into the big lights against the undefeated Indians.

“Feels like yesterday, but it was two years ago the same two teams faced off for the first place trophy.” McCoy said. He just hoped the outcome would be the same as Peebles had defeated Manchesterthen.

Manchester 1, coached by Josh Reaves, jumped out first with a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Peebles 1 retaliated by scoring two runs in the second with Tra’ Swayne and Logan Mahan coming across the dishf ollowed by Gabe Glazebrook doing the same in the third inning. On the mound for Peebles 1, and firing bullets, was Devon Roepke. He held the Greyhounds back as long as he could.

Poole for Manchester scored in the fourth to pull his team closer but Peebles turned it up a notch in the bottom of the fourth. Barr, Roepke and Wyatt Cluxton scored making it 6-2. Wikoff and Bell scored in the top of the sixth for the Greyhounds.

The Peebles 1 defensive plan was to not give any chances to allow any more runs. With a final score of 6-4, Peebles 1 finished their season not only with a first place trophy, but an outstanding 13-0 undefeated season.

Here is the 2015 undefeated Peebles “C” baseball team. Front row, from left, Hudson Gehler, Gabe Glazebrook, Elijah Jones, Tra’ Swayne, Wyatt Cluxton, Kyler Sowards, and Brennan Barr; Middle row,from left, Wyatt Buschelman, Logan Mahan, Devon Roepke, Alan McCoy, and Zane Knechtly;Back row, from left, Shane Swayne, Jim Jones, Jay Mahan, Rob Roepke, Head Coach Chad McCoy, and Dan Knechtly. Absent from the photo was Matt Shoemaker.
https://www.peoplesdefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_July-15th-2c-2715-428.jpgHere is the 2015 undefeated Peebles “C” baseball team. Front row, from left, Hudson Gehler, Gabe Glazebrook, Elijah Jones, Tra’ Swayne, Wyatt Cluxton, Kyler Sowards, and Brennan Barr; Middle row,from left, Wyatt Buschelman, Logan Mahan, Devon Roepke, Alan McCoy, and Zane Knechtly;Back row, from left, Shane Swayne, Jim Jones, Jay Mahan, Rob Roepke, Head Coach Chad McCoy, and Dan Knechtly. Absent from the photo was Matt Shoemaker. Courtesy Photo