SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — University built an early 4-0 lead Wednesday night a winner’s bracket matchup against Washington at The Rock.
Yet it’s the finish that will most be remembered as both teams scored in the seventh inning to send the game to extras, where the Hawks would push across the lone run in the ninth for a 6-5 victory.
“They’re a great team with a lot of spunk in them and I’m proud to be their coach,” Hawks’ head coach Mindy Parks said.
With the win, University (24-9) wrapped up a 2-0 day at the state tournament and will play for a state championship for the first time in program history.
With the game tied at 4 in the top of the seventh, the Hawks got a leadoff triple from Sophia Lehosit, and courtesy runner Madison Walls scored the go-ahead run two at bats later on Ashlyn Weaver’s bunt.
The Hawks had a chance to add to their lead, but stranded a pair that inning.
Washington (23-7) pulled even moments later after Courtney Greenfield doubled with one out, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Morgan Cave sacrifice fly.
Both teams managed an eighth-inning single, but no more.
Weaver’s one-out triple in the ninth put UHS in position to go ahead.
Bri Royce followed with a ground ball back to the pitching circle, and the Patriots looked to have a play at the plate, but the throw home was not handled and Weaver scored.
It was another instance of aggressive base-running paying off for the Hawks.
“They were going. I was trying to reel them back in a few times,” Parks said. “They went on their own a few times, too. I didn’t send her, but she got in there and it worked out in our favor.”
A run-scoring single from Josalyn Phillips in the first inning put the Hawks on top early, and their advantage grew to 4-0 the next frame when Alexis Elza drove in a pair with a single and Maddie Campbell brought in a run with a single.
But starting with a Zoe Kesterson RBI single in the second, Washington generated four unanswered runs to pull even.
Greenfield provided a run-scoring double in the third and Carly Crowder followed with a single to left that brought in the Patriots’ third run.
A Carly Constantino single to right in the fourth led to a Hawks’ error and the tying run scoring, setting the stage for the tight battle down the stretch.
“We’re feeling really good,” said Parks, whose team will need one win before two losses for a state championhip. “This team has a lot of spunk in them and it’s going to take a lot to beat us twice.”
Both teams finished with 14 hits.
Elza, Campbell, Lehosit, Weaver, Royce and Olivia Masoner had two apiece in the win, while Gabrielle Bibb, Constantino, Greenfield, Crowder and Addison Musser recorded two each in defeat.
Lehosit allowed four runs and nine hits in three innings, while Campbell was especially effective and limited the Patriots to one run on five hits with a pair of strikeouts in six innings.
Kesterson pitched 7 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and three base-on-balls.
“I was so proud of them for laying it out there, making it happen and stringing every together,” Parks said. “We hit the ball hard tonight, we just hit it at them sometimes. I felt like we pulled through at the end when we needed to.”
Washington will face Cabell Midland in an elimination matchup for the right to battle UHS in the final.