(Photo gallery by Teran Malone)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – One big inning was all Ripley needed for starting pitcher Jackson Curry, who pitched a complete game shutout, leading the Vikings to a 5-0 win in the Class AAA Championship Game. Curry was in cruise control throughout the game. He kept Frankfort hitters off balance scattering three hits in seven innings of work and striking out four.
“He had his good stuff today,” said Ripley head coach Shane Casto. “He needed that. It has been a while since he had his really good stuff. Today he had it.”
“It is just great to be with these guys. It is so exciting and fun,” Curry said. “It is great to be around. The coaching staff is great and I just love every part of it.”
The only scoring in the game came in the bottom of the second inning, posting five runs on the board. Peyton Keller’s single to shallow left started a rally that opened up the game. Parker Keller followed with a double to right. John Cummings followed with a run scoring single. Then Eli Phalen doubled to deep left field to make it a 3-0 ballgame. Bryson Casto singled through the right side of the infield to drive in two more runs, all before Ripley could record an out in the inning. A batter later, Landon Meadows sliced a pitch down the left field line to drive home the fifth run of the inning.
“That’s kind of what we have done all year. We hit the ball extremely well top to bottom,” said Casto. “I think we hit over .360 as a team. These guys like to swing the bat and they have done it the whole year. They got some big hits tonight.”
Frankfort threatened in the top of the fifth inning. Jesus Perdew led off with a single. After a flyout and a ground out, Lanson Orndorff got a hit threw the right side of the infield. However, Curry shutdown the potential two-out rally forcing Blake Jacobs to ground out to third to end the inning.
Jaxon Hare started the game on the mound for Frankfort (23-9). He pitched three innings and allowed all five runs on eight hits. He was relieved by Rhett Sensabaugh in fourth, who held the Vikings scoreless and gave up just a single hit.
“Frankfort won the Class AA title last year and they had quite a few guys back. We knew they were not going to go away,” Casto said.
Ripley (27-3) did not allow a run in their two state tournament games. They are state champions for the first time since 2004. The Vikings enjoyed one of the largest fanbases in this year’s tournament with a sea of blue in the crowd at GoMart Ballpark.
“This community is great,” Casto said. “We had firemen bring us all the way to Charleston today.”
Class AAA All-Tournament Team:
Bryson Casto (Ripley), Jackson Curry (Ripley), Landon Meadows (Ripley), Brady McVay (Ripley), Uriah Cutter (Frankfort), Lanson Orndorf (Frankfort), Blake Jacobs (Frankfort), Lane Lease (Frankfort), Logan Canfield (FAIR), Cameron Peschl (FAIR), pic.twitter.com/gDv58JwJ6x— TheWVSSAC (@TheWVSSAC) June 8, 2025