Devils blank Vikings to remain alive at state | News, Sports, Jobs

St. Marys head coach Lacy Riggs higher-fives Breanna Cost soon after Cost scores the initial run in Blue Devils’ six- win more than Petersburg Thursday in a W.Va. Class A state tournament elimination game in South Charleston, W.Va.
(Photo by Kerry Patrick)

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — St. Marys junior Breanna Cost is reaping the rewards of prior practical experience at the state level in each girls basketball and softball.

Friday morning in an elimination game at the Class A state softball tournament, Cost ignited the Blue Devil offense with the team’s initial hit and initial run in a six- win more than a Petersburg outfit which defeated St. Marys twice for the duration of final year’s state tournament.

Cost also began for the St. Marys girls basketball group creating a repeat look at the state tournament just before Petersburg as the sixth seed knocked out the Blue Devils in the opening round.

St. Marys (30-five) sophisticated to the championship stage scheduled for later in the afternoon needing to win twice against Wahama, which was 30-five prior to the matchup.

“Beating Petersburg is one thing we are incredibly proud of,” Cost mentioned. “We knew we had to come in and hit. We all have been incredibly pumped up and that helped us remain in the game. Awe place the bat on the ball and excellent points occurred.”

Seven of St. Marys’ beginning nine contributed at least 1 hit to the nine-hit attack, such as two apiece from Cost out of the No. 7 hole followed by Autumn Mossor in the eighth spot.

Mossor, the daughter of St. Marys coach Lacy Riggs, played her initial game in the state tournament. Each Mossor and Cost every single drove in 1 run. Also in the reduce half of the order, Baylee McGrady tripled property two runs in a 4-run fifth inning which completed the scoring for the Blue Devils.

Cost, who batted lead-off for a majority of the season, was bumped down the lineup as a suggests of kick-beginning a St. Marys attack which went cold in the latter component of the season major up to this week’s till the state tournament.

“Our bats, we have been fairly hot as extended as we hold them rolling,” Riggs mentioned. “We have produced a couple of modifications. Autumn didn’t have an at-bat this tournament. The children are adjusting, carrying out what they are supposed to do and pulling by means of.

“With girls like Breanna, that offers us a versatile batter toward the bottom of the order. We are capable to make improved use of her talent down there.”

Cost also was on the getting finish of a Petersburg baserunner caught stealing at second base.

“Myself, I’ve been going into the batter’s box considering jump on the initial pitch,” Cost mentioned. “Get a excellent hit on 1 you can deal with and sent it.

“This year we haven’t had the nerves. Final year, we didn’t know what to count on.”

Cali Masters earned the win soon after throwing six innings of shutout ball with 3 hits permitted and ten strikeouts. She struck out nine Vikings in the initial 4 innings.

“Yes, we saved an inning and Ella came off the bench and was also stellar out there,” Riggs mentioned. “That’s referred to as teamwork.”

Coach Riggs saved an inning for Masters in case St. Marys forced a second game against Wahama. Fellow southpaw Ella Smith, the lone senior on the Blue Devil roster, required just 12 pitches to strike out the side in order in the top rated of the seventh inning.

Taking the loss for Petersburg was junior Sammy Colaw, who walked two and struck out seven. The Vikings close out the season at 26-ten soon after playing by means of a non-quit schedule with only ten players in uniform.

“Honestly, I am so thankful for an outstanding year,” Petersburg coach Bubba Hedrick mentioned. “I really feel blessed that we got right here. We knew we have been incredibly quick in numbers and incredibly young. We truly scraped to get ten children this year. It was just an odd year for us.

“We knew something we got right here was a cherry on top rated. We really played a couple of games this year when we only had nine. We have been nervous the whole year, but we got a lot of mileage. We played a lot of games.”

Petersburg, which was held shutout for the final 12 innings of the tournament, graduates 1 senior in catcher Braylee Corbin.

“We sort of rode Colaw and Corbin all year,” Hedrick mentioned. “They carried us a lot.”

Speak to Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com

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