VIENNA, W.Va. — With Buffalo High on the brink of a fifth consecutive state championship, Ali Burdette vowed to focus on the pitch-by-pitch details and not the historic mission.
Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Wheeling Central didn’t allow much time to dream anyway.
Burdette pitched out of two early jams before she keyed a fourth-inning comeback by sliding home on a squeeze bunt for the go-ahead run—all part of Buffalo’s climb into the Class A final, a familiar place for West Virginia’s small-school dynasty.
“We get everybody’s best game,” said coach Darrell Moore. “When you’ve won four (titles) in a row, you’ve got a target.”
The Bison (31-6) need one win Thursday for the crown, and to earn it, they might have to beat Wheeling Central (25-7) again. The Maroon Knights, who face a morning elimination game against Man, actually led Buffalo 1-0 after stringing together three first-inning hits.
A leadoff triple in the second provided another threat, until Burdette—pitching from behind for the first time in seven postseason games—set down three straight batters.
“In the first couple of innings, it takes me a while to get in the groove and hit my spots, and they were hitting the ball well,” she said.
Over the final five innings the senior was almost untouchable.
“Ali is very good at the end,” Moore said. “That’s her strength.”
Freshman Riley Bennington was strong in her own right for Wheeling Central, limiting Buffalo to five hits.
“Wheeling Central’s got a nice pitcher,” said Moore. “We just made some moves that helped us put the ball in play. We kind of choked up and shortened our stance and it made a big difference.”
Man 8, Pendleton County 3: Hunter Harvey smacked a two-run homer as the Lady Hillbillies (19-12) ousted Pendleton County (18-10) in an elimination game.
Emilee Toller collected three of Man’s 11 hits.
Pendleton County threatened a comeback in the seventh inning after Caitlyn Wimer’s RBI triple and Caylee Simmons’ run-scoring single. But Man freshman pitcher Emily Walker induced a pop-up to escape the bases-loaded jam.
Wheeling Central 7, Pendleton County 0: Olivia Carpenter homered, Bailey Rehm reached base on all five plate appearances and Marissa Garlitz tossed a two-hitter.
Garlitz had two hits herself, including an RBI single as the Maroon Knights (25-7) struck for three first-inning runs.
Haley Hartman and Jessica Helman had the only hits for Pendleton County, which saw its seven-game winning streak snapped.
Buffalo 10, Man 2: Ali Burdette belted a long two-run homer in the first inning and finished with four RBIs as the Bison (30-6) coasted behind a 17-hit attack.
Burdette went the distance in the circle, striking out 10 and settling down after surrendering two runs to Man in the bottom of the first.