VIENNA - Although head coach Tish Smith's girls had to do it the hard way here Thursday at Jackson Park, the Pioneers from Wayne High School accomplished their season long goal and captured the Class AA state softball championship.
After eliminating Keyser, 9-1, in the first game of the day, the Pioneers got a pair of complete-game gems from sophomore right-hander Jessie Rowe as Wayne swept Ritchie County by scores of 4-3 and 3-0 to deny the Rebels a repeat crown.
In the second title game, Rowe finished with a one-hit shutout and 11 strikeouts while losing pitcher Moie Ray allowed three unearned runs as Wayne (30-6) won its first softball crown in school history.
Article Photos
Photos by Jeff Baughan
Wayne's Savannah Perry slides into Ritchie County's Allison DeLancey at second base. Perry was ruled out on the play. Wayne won its first Class AA state softball title.
"There's not a better feeling. It's the best feeling ever," stated Rowe, who scattered nine hits and fanned six in Wayne's narrow first title game triumph.
Cassidy Ray's single to center to start the top of the seventh was the only hit against Rowe in the second title tilt. Although Allison DeLancey then reached on an error and Micah Ray got plunked to load the bases, Wayne got out of the jam as Rowe ended it in style by getting Rachel Haddox on a called third strike.
"It's pretty daggone devastating when you make it all the way through and then you just don't make it," said veteran Rebel boss Dave Mossor, whose squad finished runner-up for a fifth time.
Fact Box
W.Va. State High School
Softball Tournament
at Jackson Park, Vienna
Class AAA
Elimination Game
Parkersburg South 6, Logan 0
Parkersburg South 000 032 3 - 6 8 0
Logan (28-7) 000 000 0 - 0 4 3
WP: CeCe Bailey 7 IP, 4 SO, 0 BB
LP: Taylor Norman 5.2 IP, 3 SO, 1 BB
Morgan Aguirre 1.1 IP, 2 SO, 0 BB
South hitters: Katelyn Hamilton triple; Kristen Hamilton double; Taylor Wittekind double, RBI; Morgan Trippett 3-3
Logan hitters: Rachelle Topping 2-3
Championship Game 1
Parkersburg South 12, John Marshall 5
Parkersburg South 003 070 2 - 12 12 2
John Marshall 001 310 0 - 5 9 3
WP: CeCe Bailey 7 IP, 3 SO, 1 BB
LP: Amy Rotriga 7 IP, 3 SO, 5 BB
Parkersburg South hitters: Katelyn Hamilton 2-4, double, 2 RBIs; Taylor Wittekind 3-3, 2 doubles, triple, 3 RBIs, 2 walks; Morgan Trippett double, 2 RBIs
John Marshall hitters: Kristin Lewicki 3-4, RBI; Alyssa George double; Alexa Jones 2 RBIs
Championship Game 2
John Marshall 11, Parkersburg South 6
JM (35-4) 301 430 0- 11 13 3
South (26-14) 000 220 2 - 6 8 1
WP: Megan Garcia 7 IP, 2 SO, 1 BB
LP: Nicole Landis 2 IP, 0 SO, 1 BB
Morgan Trippett 5 IP, 0 SO, 2 BB
John Marshall hitters: Kristin Lewicki 3-5, RBI; Alyssa George 2-2, 4 runs scored, 3-run home run in fifth inning; Kylie Howard 3-4, double; 3 RBIs; Amy Rotriga double
Parkersburg South hitters: Genna Trippett 3-4, 2 home runs, 3 RBIs
All-tournament team: Robert C. Byrd: Ashley Bassel; Logan: Katie Chrysoffos, Rachelle Toppings; Parkersburg South: CeCe Bailey, Genna Trippett, Katelyn Hamilton; John Marshall: Kristin Lewicki, Megan Garcia, Alexa Jones, Kylie Howard. Sprtsmanship Award: Logan
Class AA
Elimination Game
Wayne 9, Keyser 1
Wayne 001 401 3 - 9 13 1
Keyser (25-11) 000 001 0 - 1 4 1
WP: Emily Thompson 7 IP, 0 BB, 7 SO
LP: Meghan Anderson 4 IP, 1 BB, 2 SO
Sam Hoban 3 IP, 1 BB, 1 SO
Wayne hitting: Emily Fry 2-4, 3B, 3 RBIs; Jessica Watts 2-2 SB; Jacey Parsons 1-4 RBI; Anna Cassidy R; Kasey Endicott 1-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI; Payton Fetty RBI; Jessie Rowe 1-4, R, RBI; Tasha Maynard 3-4, 3 R, 3B; Savannah Perry 3-4, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBIs
Keyser hitting: Anderson 1-3 R; Lexi Carr 1-2, 2B; Katie Hoban 2-3
Championship Game 1
Wayne 4, Ritchie County 3
Wayne 003 100 0 - 4 6 2
Ritchie 100 002 0 - 3 9 2
WP: Rowe 7 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO
LP: Kelsey Waggoner 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Wayne hitting: Fry 1-4 R; Watts 1-3 RBI; Parsons RBI; Endicott 1-3, 2B; Rowe 2-3, 2 R, SB; Maynard 1-3; Perry R, RBI
Ritchie County hitting: Vanessa Tallman 2-4 R; Allison DeLancey 2-3 SB, 2B, RBI; Micah Ray 1-3; Abby Burgess 1-4; Hannah Stout R; Rachel Haddox 2-3 R, 2B, RBI; Becca Sullivan 1-3
Championship Game 2
Wayne 3, Ritchie County 0
Ritchie (28-7) 000 000 0 - 0 1 1
Wayne (30-6) 030 000 x - 3 8 1
WP: Rowe 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO
LP: Moie Ray 6 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Ritchie County hitting: Cassidy Ray 1-3; DeLancey 2 SB
Wayne hitting: Fry 1-3; Watts 1-2, 2 RBIs; Parsons 1-3 RBI; Kayla Adams 1-3; Fetty 1-3; Rowe 1-3; Cassidy R; Maynard 2-3, R, 2B; Perry R
All-tournament team: Wayne - Watts, Parsons, Rowe and Maynard; Ritchie County - DeLancey, C. Ray, Waggoner; Keyser - Taylor Haggerty; Anderson; Shady Spring - Michelle Snodgrass; Sportsmanship Award - Shady Spring
Class A
Losers bracket final
Moorefield 8, St. Marys 6
Moorefield 122 201 0 - 8 10 4
St. Marys 200 011 2 - 6 8 4
WP: Danica Rogers 7IP 8H 6R 5BB 4SO
LP: Mikayla Hearn 3IP 6H 7R 1BB 2SO
Mandy Cokeley 4IP 4H 1R 2BB 3SO
Leading hitters: Moorefield - Danica Rogers 1-5, RBI; Michaela Regester 2-5, 2B, run; Beth Cook 2-4; Kelsey Hines 2-4, 2B, run, 3 RBIs; Taylor Zuber 2-4, run; Jayme Farley 1-2, 2 RBIs, run. St. Marys - Bethani Chambers 1-4, 2B, RBI; Amy Childers 2-3, 3B, run, 2 RBIs; Morgan Fuenty 2-3, 3B, run, RBI; Alyssa Fetty 1-3, run.
Record: St. Marys ends season at 27-6.
Championship
Buffalo 6, Moorefield 3
Moorefield 000 020 1 - 3 2 0
Buffalo 300 003 x - 6 8 6
WP: Chelsey Parkins 6.1IP 2H 3R 3BB 9SO
Save: Ali Burdette 0.2IP 0H 0R 1BB 1SO
LP: Taylor Zuber 6IP 8H 6R 3BB 1SO
Leading hitters: Moorefield - McKenzie Weese 1-2, run. Buffalo Katie Higginbotham 1-3, 2 RBIs; Chelsey Parkins 1-3, run; Leslie Harris 2-2, 3B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Hannah Boyer 1-3, RBI, run; Paige Roush 1-3, RBI.
Records: Moorefield 34-6; Buffalo 32-7.
All-tournament: Chelsey Parkins (Buffalo), Katie Higginbotham (Buffalo), Ali Burdette (Buffalo), Leslie Harris (Buffalo), Danica Rogers (Moorefield), Michaela Regester (Moorefield), Jayme Fraley (Moorefield), Katelyn Wills (Moorefield), Bethani Chambers (St. Marys), Amy Childers (St. Marys).
Sportsmanship award: Moorefield.
"I don't mind it (losing), but all of a sudden the strike zone just went spasm in the last two innings. Why? We are going to be back."
Wayne's seven through nine hitters made the difference in the second championship game and produced all three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Rowe started it with a single to left and courtesy runner Anna Cassidy was on second after Tasha Maynard followed with a single to center. Savannah Perry then reached on an outfield error to load the bases. With two outs, Jessica Watts delivered a two-run single back up the box and Jacey Parsons followed with an RBI single to center to account for the only runs of the game.
"The absolute best group of girls ever," said an excited coach Smith after the victory. "These girls would sacrifice themselves for anything on this team and that's what you have to have. One word that sums them all up, team."
Ritchie County (28-7) took a quick 1-0 advantage in the first title game when leadoff hitter Vanessa Tallman reached on an infield single to start the home half of the first and scored on DeLancey's RBI double down the line in left.
However, a three-run third inning proved to be too much to overcome for the Rebels and losing hurler Kelsey Waggoner, who fielded a comebacker off the bat of Perry but threw wide to home, which allowed Rowe to score the first Pioneer run. Wayne leadoff hitter Emily Fry then reached on a bunt single and Watts followed with a run-scoring single to center. It was 3-1 after Parsons recorded an RBI groundout.
Wayne pushed its cushion to 4-1 by scoring an unearned run in the fourth after Rowe reached on a single and the Rebels had two errors.
Ritchie County, which went 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position in the first title game, cut the deficit to 4-3 thanks to plating a pair of runs in the sixth. Waggoner started it by walking and courtesy runner Hannah Stout scored on Haddox's RBI double to left-center. Haddox later scored on a Wayne throwing error.
Still down a run, things looked really good for the Rebels in the home half of the seventh when they loaded the bases with no one out. DeLancey singled, Micah Ray was hit by a pitch and then Abby Burgess reached on a fielder's choice.
Rowe then got Waggoner on a called third strike and the game was over after Haddox hit a shallow fly to left that Fetty grabbed and then threw home to catcher Kayla Adams, who applied the tag on DeLancey for the game-ending double play.
"It's amazing. I love everybody on the team," said Adams, Wayne's lone senior on the roster. "We just came out and took it one game at a time and did it.
"I can't even describe what I felt and what my team felt (after the first win versus Ritchie). We were all excited. All of us had the same goal and we did it."
In the early morning elimination contest, Wayne scored the first six runs and never looked back in defeating Keyser (25-11). Pioneer Emily Thompson had seven strikeouts and finished with a four-hitter. Keyser's Katie Hoban went 2 for 3 while Fry drove in three runs for the victors, who also got three hits apiece from Maynard and Perry.
Shady Spring captured the sportsmanship award while the all-tournament team consisted of Rowe, Maynard, Watts, Parsons, DeLancey, Waggoner, Cassidy Ray, Keyser teammates Taylor Haggerty and Meghan Anderson as well as Michelle Snodgrass of Shady Spring.
