(Photos by Teran Malone)
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — St. Marys had to wait seven more innings to secure the school’s first state softball championship, but the title is theirs after a 2-0 win over Petersburg in the decisive game of the Class A tournament.
In the first game of the championship round, Shyane Tawney broke a 1-1 tie by driving in Lacey Moyers to give PHS a 2-1 lead. However, the Blue Devils drew even at 2 when Autumn Mossor delivered a run-scoring single.
In the top of the seventh, PHS jumped back on top when Miley Tingler scored on a throwing error, giving the Vikings a 3-2 lead. Sam Colaw closed things out in the bottom of the seventh, giving Petersburg a 3-2 win and a third game of the day. Colaw tossed her fourth complete game of the tournament.
In the decisive game, St. Marys, now the visiting team for the finale, broke a scoreless stalemate in the top of the third. Cali Masters singled sharply up the middle to score Zoey Winland to give the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Devils doubled their lead in the seventh inning when Winland hit a sacrifice fly to score Ella Bullman.
Pitching her second game of the day, Masters finished off a shutout in the seventh. She tossed a two-hitter ands struck out nine batters.
“It shows her resiliency, her heart and her drive. And she wanted this. It showed out there in 14 straight innings. She never let up and never missed a beat,” said St. Marys head coach Lacy Riggs.
Masters’ counterpart, Olivia Kimble, also pitched a complete game and struck out six.
Tawney and Tingler had the base hits for PHS. Winland, Masters and Pullman each had multi-hit games for the Blue Devils (31-4).
“We have a very special group of kids right now. Our core group has played together for a lot of years. These kids have grown up together. They’ve played ball together. Our community has really been behind us this year. They realize how special this group of kids is and they have shown the utmost support.”
The Vikings closed their season at 28-10.