(Photos by Teran Malone)
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Sam Colaw’s walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh lifted Petersburg over Buffalo, 3-2 in the second game of the WVSSAC Class A state softball tournament.
With the bases empty and two out in the seventh, Cheyenne Sites reached on an error to give Colaw and at bat with a chance to win the game. Colaw connected on a two-strike, outside pitch and drove it off the fence in right field. Sites scored from first base with the game’s winning run.
“I have all the confidence in Sam,” said Petersburg head coach Dwayne Hedrick. “I was hoping we would get a runner on. They have a miscue and gave us an opportunity. All I am thinking is that if we get somebody on, Sam can hit a gap.”
Colaw went the distance in the circle for the Vikings (26-8). She allowed six hits and struck out five batters.
“We had a couple innings where I think she threw eight pitches. That was to her advantage. And she had to fight through a couple innings there. She hung tough and it was just a super job for her.”
PHS jumped out to an early lead in the third inning when Ella Chew connected for a two-run double. Buffalo (18-13) answered with runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Dara Harmon hit a run-scoring single and Kiera Cochran’s squeeze bunt scored Kimberly Dillman to even the score in the sixth.
Dillman pitched a complete game for the Bison. She struck out nine batters.
The Bison will face Midland Trail in an elimination game Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Petersburg will face St. Marys immediately after to earn a spot in Thursday’s final.
“We put a good schedule together,” Hedrick said. “We have been tested and tested and tested all year. This type of game, we are just kind of used to. We played some big schools hoping that when you get here, that you don’t get rattled and you can hang tough.”