St. Marys head coach Lacy Riggs higher-fives Breanna Value just after Value 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 Value is reaping the positive aspects of prior knowledge at the state level in each girls basketball and softball.

Friday morning in an elimination game at the Class A state softball tournament, Value 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 in the course of final year’s state tournament.

Value also began for the St. Marys girls basketball group producing a repeat look at the state tournament prior to 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 extremely proud of,” Value mentioned. “We knew we had to come in and hit. We all have been extremely pumped up and that helped us remain in the game. Awe place the bat on the ball and excellent factors occurred.”

Seven of St. Marys’ beginning nine contributed at least 1 hit to the nine-hit attack, like two apiece from Value 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 Value every single drove in 1 run. Also in the reduced half of the order, Baylee McGrady tripled residence two runs in a 4-run fifth inning which completed the scoring for the Blue Devils.

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

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

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

Value 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 pondering jump on the initial pitch,” Value 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 just 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 known 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, necessary just 12 pitches to strike out the side in order in the prime 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 just after playing by way of a non-cease 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 extremely brief in numbers and extremely 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 prime. We essentially 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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