Loss to St. Marys ends Cavaliers' season (With Gallery)

May 24—Playing to save its season, things were going well for Greenbrier West.

The Cavaliers rebounded from St. Marys pitcher Ella Smith's dominant first inning to score three runs in the second inning and eventually lead 4-2.

But then it was the Blue Devils' turn to get going, and they get to keep going on Thursday.

St. Marys scored five unanswered runs, including three in the bottom of the sixth, for a 7-4 win in the first elimination game at the Class A state tournament in South Charleston on Wednesday.

St. Marys will play either Wahama or Petersburg Thursday at 9:45 a.m. The winner will play for the state championship at 2:15 p.m.

Greenbrier West, meanwhile, had its season come to an end with a sterling 23-4 record.

Down two, the Blue Devils were able to tie the game in the bottom of the third, then take the lead for good in the fifth. Smith led off with an opposite-way double off the fence in left field. She went to third on Ava Childers' sacrifice bunt and scored on Brylee McGrady's RBI groundout, making it 5-4 St. Marys.

The Blue Devils put it away in the sixth. Bunt singles by Breanna Price and Ella Bullman were sandwiched around the first out of the inning. Zoey Winland then walked to load the bases before Cali Masters' single to center drove in Price and Bullman.

Masters, who relieved Smith to start the sixth after the Blue Devils had taken the lead, struck out the side in the seventh to end it.

Smith was credited with the win after giving up seven hits and four runs over five innings. She didn't walk a batter and struck six, including the side in the first.

The Cavalier bats got going in the second inning after St. Marys scored two unearned runs in the first. After being held to four hits in their opening loss to Petersburg, the Cavaliers had that many in the second off Smith.

Emma Ames led off with a single and Desteney Walker reached on an infield hit. Ames went to third on that play and Walker later stole second.

One out later, a single by starting pitcher Michaela Alley drove in Ames. Julia Herndon reached on a fielder's choice when Walker beat the throw to second on Herndon's ground ball, and Walker scored the tying run.

Herndon later got to second and scored on another infield hit, this one from Maddie Fields.

The lead stretched to 4-2 in the third. Preslee Treadway led off with a single and eventually scored on a squeeze by Brooklyn Adkins.

St. Marys tied it in the bottom half. Singles by Winland and Smith were followed by a two-run double by Childers.

Masters picked up the save for the Blue Devils. She allowed a hit and hit a batter and struck out six of the eight batters she faced.

In the first game, Petersburg scored an unearned insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning and starting pitcher Sammy Colaw tossed a perfect seventh to defeat the Cavaliers 4-2.

Ella Chew walked with one out in the sixth and took second on a passed ball. After Olivia Kimble flied out, Hannah Hamric hit a ground ball that got through on an error, allowing Chew to score to give the Vikings (26-8) a two-run lead.

The Cavaliers took a 1-0 in the top of the third. Adkins walked and went all the way to third on Brooke Patterson's sac bunt. Redden then lined a single to center to drive in Adkins.

The Vikings responded with three in the bottom half, stringing together three straight hits after being held hitless by Redden through the first two innings.

Kylei Berg fell behind 0-2 but fought back to get a leadoff walk. She took second on a passed ball and went to third on Makenah Shriver's sacrifice. After Gracie Carpenter grounded out to Redden, Addison Kitzmiller singled to center to drive in Berg with the tying run.

Braylee Corbin's triple to the right-center field fence scored Kitzmiller, and Colaw's liner to center drove in Corbin to put Petersburg ahead 3-1.

Those were the only three hits allowed by Redden, who also struck out four and walked three.

Greenbrier West got one run back in the fourth when Herndon singled, stole second and scored on a single to right by Fields.

Colaw finished with 10 strikeouts and two walks.

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