SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The pressure of maintaining a perfect season never caught up to the Wahama softball team. The White Falcons capped a 27-0 campaign with a 5-3 win over Ritchie County in the Class A state championship. It is the first state title in program history.
“It is a great feeling. We have worked a long time for this. And we finally made it,” said Wahama head coach Chris Noble.
“We never set out to be undefeated. And actually, it caused more stress and pressure than it might have been worth. We are glad to be undefeated now as state champions.”
“A girls team has never won a state championship at our school. So it was literally the coolest thing I have ever seen,” said Wahama sophomore Mikie Lieving.
Ritchie County jumped on the scoreboard quickly in the top of the first, scoring a pair of runs on an RBI single from Olivia Dodd and a bases loaded walk from Macy Ireland. Lieving however stranded the bases loaded and she would allow just one unearned run the rest of the way.
“Mikie is an unbelievable pitcher and she doesn’t let anything phase her. Whenever we have a little bump in the road, she keeps right on truckin’ and we always come through it,” Chris Noble said.
Wahama answered with two runs in the bottom of the first inning to even the score 2-2. The Falcons took a lead they would not relinquish in the third inning. After a Ritchie County pitching change, the first four batters for Wahama would reach base. An RBI double from Amber Wolfe was followed up by a two-run single from Lauren Noble, giving the White Falcons a 5-2 edge.
The Rebels (23-7) scored a run in the fifth and threatened in the seventh by putting runners on the corners before Lieving closed out the game with her fourth strikeout.
“It was amazing. The community was behind us the whole way. We wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. We got the support we needed and we got it done,” said Wahama junior Lauren Noble.