ELLENBORO, W.Va. — Chloe Elliot kept Magnolia off balance for seven innings as Ritchie County secured the Class A, Region 1, Section 2 title with a 3-1 win Wednesday afternoon.
Elliot allowed just four hits and struck out seven batters in limiting the Blue Eagles to just one run. The sophomore ace for the Rebels walked just one batter. “She just wasn’t on,” said veteran Ritchie County head coach Dave Mossor. “She doesn’t give up a whole bunch.”
The Rebels scored in each of the first two innings. In the first, Ashley Davis drove in Shelby Adams with an RBI single. Chaslyn Jones drove in a run in the second inning with an RBI single to score McKenzie McComas.
The Blue Eagles cut the deficit in half in the fourth inning when Ashley Tharp scored on a groundout. But the Rebels answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the frame and they held the two-run lead the rest of the way.
Tharp took the loss for Magnolia (16-7). She struck out six batters and walked one.
Mossor rotates several freshmen into the lineup while Elliot is a sophomore. He says his young group of Rebels has matured quickly throughout the season. “I’m playing six freshmen. And they’re all fast and I’ve got to try to get their speed into the ball game.”
Ritchie (19-10) will face Wheeling Central Catholic in the best-of-three regional series next week. The winner will advance to the state tournament. Mossor had a streak of 27 consecutive sectional titles from 1989-2015. This is Ritchie’s first trip to the regional round in four years.