SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After qualifying in the last nine state tournaments and finishing runner-up in four of the last six, Petersburg finally got over the hump.
For the first time in program history, the Vikings (28-5) won a state title in softball, defeating Logan, 6-5, in Friday’s Class AA final at Little Creek Park.
“A long time coming, it’s been 40 years since a state championship,” Petersburg manager Bubba Hedrick said. “These girls deserve this. We’ve been playing for a little respect too. We feel like we’ve been slighted a little bit, and the only way you fix that is win.”
The story of Petersburg’s run to glory was the offense’s ability to respond.
In three of the four state tournament games, the Vikings either trailed or were tied and went on to win.
In the opener against Lincoln, Petersburg overcame multiple weather delays, deficits of 9-0 and 12-4 and won 14-12 after over four hours.
The Vikings coasted 9-1 over Sissonville and beat Logan 10-6 to advance to the Final.
“It shot right up,” Petersburg third baseman Miley Tingler said of the confidence after the Lincoln win. “It was crazy, we just knew if we could get down that far and come back up, we’re resilient. and we can handle anything.”
Tingler was named the Class AA tournament Most Valuable Player.
She had at least two hits in all four games, finishing 9 for 13 with 10 RBIs.
Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth, the Wildcats (24-9) evened the score on a two-out double from Ashlin Brumfield.
With the bases loaded following an intentional walk, Shyane Tawney kept the score tied with a crucial catch on a lineout to second.
“I ain’t gonna lie, we were antsy in the dugout,” Hedrick said. “We weren’t sure if we ready to make a change yet because we felt like their timing was there. We weren’t fooling them and we survived them. Tawney made a great catch, got us out of the inning.”
The Vikings scored the eventual winning run after loading the bases in the top of the seventh.
An error, intentional walk and a single from Tingler set up an RBI groundout from Ella Markwell.
“Our resilience, we will not give up anything,” Tingler said of the team’s response to adversity. “We won’t take that, we’ll punch right back in their face.”
The error proved to be costly, as a wild pitch moved runners to second and third.
The second baseman dropped the ball on the throw to second as she applied the tag.
Logan challenged the play, and the call stood.
Gracie Carpenter slammed the door, retiring the side in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Carpenter got the start and pitched the first three innings before re-entering in the seventh.
She allowed two earned runs across four innings, striking out three against eight hits with no walks.
Kinsley Crites got the win, tossing three innings with two earned runs on five hits and two walks with a strikeout.
The Wildcats took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Myleigh Adkins opened the scoring on a double, then Journee Akers singled to short.
“A lot of that’s on them, and the way they’ve handled things,” Hedrick said of the Vikings’ response after an early deficit. “We talked about coming here, one of the things I felt was on our side was we’ve got some experience,”
“We’ve been here back to back to back years. Some seniors have been here four times, juniors three, sophomores this was their second. So the stage, they were used to.”
Petersburg outscored Logan 6-3 to end the game, led by a three-run top of the third.
Tawney singled, then Abi Nettles reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on an error.
With Tawney on third and Nettles at second, Miley Tingler hit a line drive to left for a two-run base hit.
Now leading 3-2, the Vikings added another run on a groundout.
Each team scored a run in the fifth, with Petersburg scoring on a passed ball and Logan on an Akers single.
“Early in the year, we went to Hedgesville and we saw then what we were capable of as far as offensively,” Hedrick said. “The numbers we could put up and the home runs and extra base hits. That never went away, and it stuck with us throughout the whole year.”
Ella Chew was named to the All-Tournament team.
Chew finished 7 for 12 across four games, going 4 for 4 with eight RBIs in the opener against Lincoln.
“I just wanted to bring the win home for my team,” Chew said. “We’ve been working really hard throughout the whole season. This is the best record we’ve ever come into a state tournament team. I think this team was better prepared than any other team to come in here and win it all.”
She also caught two runners attempting to steal second.
“Just kept on my toes, I knew eventually they were gonna steal either way,” Chew said. “So I just kept on my toes.”
Petersburg won the school’s third state title in any team sport, ending a 40-year streak dating back to the 1986 baseball squad, which Hedrick played on.
“Anytime you win a championship, I think that’s just a boost for the community,” Hedrick said. “Everybody gets behind you and they rally for you. We’re gonna celebrate it, and we’re gonna enjoy it for a while.”