UPDATE (5/9/25, 11:15 p.m.): After the two teams played one inning Thursday and had to stop ahead of the second due to weather, the Patriots topped the Big Reds 5-1 Friday in the resumption of the matchup at Don Godbey Memorial Fields.
Behind a seven-inning, one-hit effort with 17 strikeouts from freshman Anniston Shelton, the Patriots are now in control of Class AAAA Region IV, Section 2.
PSHS (17-7) scored single runs in the third and fourth innings and broke open what was a two-run game at the time with a three-run sixth.
Parkersburg South’s Shyanne Hays drove in a pair and Kailey Lockhart had two of the Patriots’ eight hits to go with a pair of runs.
Camella Cooper accounted for Parkersburg’s hit and was responsible for the Big Reds’ RBI. Cooper also pitched six innings and struck out two while issuing three walks.
PHS (5-13) will look to avoid elimination Saturday against Capital.
— — — — —
NOTE: Below is information from Thursday, May 8 when the two teams stopped play after one inning due to weather.
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — Parkersburg South pitcher Anniston Shelton struck out the side in the first inning of Thursday’s Class AAAA Region IV, Section 2 matchup between the Patriots and Parkersburg.
Big Reds’ pitcher Camella Cooper developed her own rhythm in the opening frame as well, retiring all three PSHS batters she faced, including one via strikeout.
Seconds after the first inning finished, Mother Nature ruled out and heavy rain swept through Don Goodbey Memorial Fields, forcing a stoppage in play. While a tarp was utilized to cover the field, the rain intensified, forcing the two teams to stop play before the second inning started.
“I don’t think it’ll change much. I like that it was clean for one full inning,” Patriots’ head coach Tim Burch said. “I didn’t think it was going to come like this, but it did. It would make more of an impact if we were waiting around, stopping and then playing.”
The contest is slated to pick up where it left off at 5 p.m. Friday. The winner will be in the driver’s seat, while the loser will have to face Capital in an elimination game.
Both Shelton and Cooper are freshmen.
The Patriots (16-7) are the No. 1 seed in the section and ranked fifth in Class AAAA. The Big Reds (5-12) defeated Capital 8-2 in Wednesday’s postseason opener.