Blue Devils prepared for Petersburg in state tournament
Trending
ST. MARYS -- Half of the Class A state softball tournament field, which begins play at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday at South Charleston's Little Creek Park, is comprised of Little Kanawha Conference programs.
Defending LKC and single-A state champion Wahama (26-2) is the favorite and the White Falcons will square off against Midland Trail (12-10) a half hour after St. Marys (19-9) tangles with Petersburg (18-2) at 9:45 a.m. in the double-elimination opener.
Each program will compete twice on Wednesday with the elimination contest pitting the losers versus one another at 4:45 p.m. The two morning winners will play 30 minutes afterward to see who can avoid the 9:45 a.m. Thursday elimination contest prior to the 2:15 p.m. state title game.
Petersburg punched its ticket for veteran head coach Bubba Hedrick by ousting Doddridge County in the regional by scores of 8-0 and 15-6.
In game one, Samantha Colaw fired a five-inning perfect game and battery mate Braylee Corbin blasted a pair of round-trippers.
The Blue Devils of head coach Lacy Riggs have used both Cali Masters (9-2, 1.38 ERA, 74 Ks, 60.2 IP) and Ella Smith (10-2, 1.26 ERA, 85 Ks, 88.2 IP) inside the circle this spring. The freshman Masters is expected to get the nod in game one.
"We've been able to watch some film and I've gotten a scouting report. I feel like we've got a little bit of a heads-up," admitted the coach, who is guiding SMHS to its second state tournament appearance and first since 2012.
"They have a really good pitcher. She throws well and likes to keep it high in the zone. Our discipline is something we struggled with a little bit at the plate this year. As long as we stay disciplined I think we can be OK."
Shortstop Breanna Price sets the table for the Blue Devils. Along with a team-high 14 stolen bases, Price it batting .403 with nine doubles, two triples, two homers and 16 runs-batted-in.
She's followed in the two-hole by third baseman Zoey Winland, who is tied for the team lead in triples (six) with second baseman Layne Kincaid (.318 AVG, 14 RBIs, nine steals). Winland, who has swiped 13 bases, has a team-high .456 average to go along with five doubles, a trio of bombs and 24 RBIs.
Masters, who plays first when Smith is pitching, enters the state tournament hitting .397 with nine two-baggers, a triple and four round-trippers to go along with 19 RBIs. Smith is batting .440 at cleanup and leads the team with 30 runs-batted-in. She has five doubles, four homers and is followed by Kincaid in the batting order.
"The focus has been really good," admitted Riggs after coming off two wins in the regional versus Wheeling Central.
"We've been preaching every day at practice. We made it here and now is not the time to lose focus."
Along with throwing a change and a drop curve, Colaw also has a riseball and a screwball in her arsenal.
"When we went up to Wheeling Central (12-0, five-inning win) and played we had excellent plate difference," Riggs noted.
"Then they came down here (2-1, eight-inning win) and we faced the same pitcher. We had a lack of discipline and it showed in the score of the game."
Coach Riggs knows in order for her team to be successful everyone in the lineup has to do their job.
Catcher Ava Childers (.413, three doubles, one triple, one HR, 12 RBIs) is likely to be slotted sixth in the batting order.
Right fielder Ava Giovinazzo (.246, five doubles, seven RBIs), designated player Cara Masters (six RBIs) and center fielder Ella Bullman (.382, seven RBIs, 10 steals) comprise the bottom third of the lineup with Marissa Maston handling duties in left as the flex.
"She's the only one that has been in that atmosphere," Riggs said of Price playing in this year's state basketball tournament. "Going in tight is something that I worry about and almost something I kind of expect.
"I keep telling the kids it's just another game. You didn't get up any different this morning than any other game in your life. Go out there and do what you know how to do and we should take care of ourselves."
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com