St. Marys celebrates its first ever state championship after defeating Petersburg 2-0 in the Class A state title game Thursday in South Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

CHARLESTON — St. Marys softball has made the climb toward the top of the mountain.

Now the Blue Devils are Queen of the Hill for Class A for the first time in school history.

Thursday at Little Creek Park’s Craft Field, St. Marys lost to Petersburg, 3-2, in the first championship game then returned the favor with a 2-0 win in the second championship game to close out the season at 31-4 and post a school record for wins in a season. The Blue Devils finished third at the state tournament two years ago and lost to Wahama in the championship bracket last year.

“We made one step at a time,” St. Marys coach Lacy Riggs said. “This is history – this has never happened before. It’s huge. I’m numb, proud, happy and excited. I’m so proud of these kids.

“They didn’t get down after they dropped the first one and kept playing ball.”

St. Marys’ Breanna Price sprints down the third base line and scores the Blue Devils’ first run as her teammates cheer her on during state tournament action Thursday in South Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

St. Marys junior pitcher Cali Masters pitched all 14 innings over the two games and also delivered the eventual game-winning run with a two-out single to drive home Zoey Winland in the top of the third inning. The Blue Devils added an insurance run in the seventh inning when No. 9 hitter Ella Bullman led off with a triple then scored on Winland’s sacrifice fly.

Despite the humidity setting in during the afternoon, Masters appeared to get stronger and as she retired the final nine batters she faced.

“Thankfully through all the years of travel ball I played in the summer, I’ve kind of grown to pitching in the heat,” Masters said. “It’s definitely not easy, but when we were in the dugout thankfully parents and my team backed me up. We had buckets with bands and you could spray water and it cooled us down – and kept us in the game.

“Winning this title, our team is so close – we are just proud that this is the year we won. That last game, we came together and we just wanted to make history, and make our state and the town proud.”

Petersburg, which lost to St. Marys, 9-0 in five innings, in a winner’s bracket game on Wednesday gave the Blue Devils all they could handle. In four of the first five innings, they managed to get a runner in scoring position – only to leave them stranded.

St. Marys’ Cali Masters (1), left, celebrates with teammates Breanna Price, left, and Layne Kincaid after recording the final out in the Class A state title game Thursday in South Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“Man, I’m so proud of the kids,” said Petersburg head coach Bubba Hedrick said. “To fight through that first game and have the mental capacity to hang in there and get through it.”

After Colaw exhausted her innings for the second championship game, Hedrick turned to sophomore Olivia Kimble, who was 6-2 with a 1.91 earned-run average over 55 innings of work. Against St. Marys, she allowed the two runs on 10 hits, walking two and striking out six.

“Olivia hadn’t pitched in over a month because we rode Colaw – Olivia was terrific in that last game,” Hedrick said. “We wanted to get to the championship game and see where the chips fell.”

Championship Game 1

Petersburg 3, St. Marys 2

St. Marys’ Brylee McGrady hugs teammate Breanna Price after the Blue Devils defeated Petersburg 2-0 in the Class A state title game Thursday in South Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

After Petersburg defeated Buffalo, 7-3, in an elimination game on Thursday, Hedrick turned to pitcher Sam Colaw for what was essentially her championship game.

St. Marys pushed across the first run in the second inning when Breanna Price scored all the way from second base on a high throw from the third baseman to first base.

After Master set down the first six batters she faced, Petersburg’s bats started humming. The Vikings recorded their first hit in a scoreless third inning then strung together back-to-back, two-out hits in the fourth inning – the latter a Miley Tingler single bringing home Addison Kitzmiller.

The Vikings kept the pressure on in the fifth inning. Gracie Carpenter drew a lead-off walk then advanced to second on Blair Loy’s single to right field. After No. 9 hitter Claire Kimble executed a sacrifice bunt, Shyane Tawney hit a ground ball to shortstop which allowed Carpenter to put Petersburg in front 2-1.

Price accounted for both St. Marys runs – the second occurring in the home half of the sixth inning. After the senior singled with one out, she stole second and third base. She finished the game with three stolen bases.

St. Marys catcher Brylee McGrady cheers from the dugout during state tournament action Thursday in South Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

The very next batter, Autumn Mossor, ripped a hit past the third baseman to tie the game at 2-2.

In the Petersburg seventh, Tingler opened with a double and scored when Carpenter slapped a ground ball to the third baseman, who sailed a throw over the first baseman’s head.

Down to their final three outs, the Blue Devils managed to put a runner in scoring position when Layne Kincaid reached safely on a fielder’s choice then stole second all with two out. Colaw struck the next batter to force a second and deciding championship game.

All-Tournament Team

Of the 10 softball players recognized on the Class A All-Tournament Team, St. Marys contributed four individuals. Seniors Zoey Winland and Breanna Price were joined by Cali Masters and Brylee McGrady.

Price, who does not plan to play softball after high school, finally got that elusive state title – opportunities which occurred several times as a member of the St. Marys girls basketball team and now the softball team. She is one of five outgoing seniors on the Blue Devils roster.

“I’ve played softball since probably 10-U and before that tee ball – I have been with these girls since,” Price said. “We’ve been trying for three years and we finally got it done.

“After that first game we sat down and kind of took a break – realized that we needed to focus and get ready or else we wouldn’t get our goal we had at the beginning of the season. I’m so proud of this team and everything we have done. I knew this was coming – it was just a question of when. And the when was answered.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com