Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports
FAYETTEVILLE For the first time in league history, the Man Little League will play for a softball state championship Friday evening.
Man defeated the Jefferson Little League, 4-2, Thursday evening in the semifinals of the West Virginia Little League Softball State Tournament at Charlie McCoy Town Park.
Brianna Blankenship hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning and Mia Johnson struck out 11 in 5 2/3 innings.
Blankenship’s home run in the fourth put Man ahead 4-0, and Johnson allowed two unearned runs and four hits.
Jefferson scored its only runs of the game in the sixth inning when Brooke Hardy and Riley Parcell scored on a throwing error that chased Johnson from the circle.
Blankenship relieved Johnson and needed just two pitches to retire Jefferson’s Carleigh Hamilton on a ground out to second base to send Man to Friday’s state championship game.
Man, the District 2 runner-up, will take over District 1 runner-up Hite Saunders, who defeated Barboursville, 3-1, in Thursday’s first semifinal. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday evening.
Hite Saunders defeated Man, 4-0, Sunday evening in Mountaineer bracket play.
Man got off to quick start when Carly Caserta stole home to give Man a 1-0 lead after one inning.
Jefferson threatened in the bottom of the first when Deklynn Boggs and Hamilton reached base safely on a pair of errors with one out, but Johnson was able to work out of the jam with a fielder’s choice and a ground out.
Sophia Cissel was hit by a pitch and Parcell singled to start the third for Jefferson, but once again Johnson worked out of the jam, striking out Sophia Vella, Gunny Dudley and Hardy to end the threat.
Once again in the fifth, Jefferson put two runners aboard with one out. Once more, Johnson kept Jefferson off the scoreboard getting Piper Hunt to strike out swinging and got Cissel to strike out looking on a 3-2 pitch on the inside corner.
Hunt allowed four runs on three hits in six innings of work in the circle for Jefferson. She struck out 11 and walked two in the loss.
Parcell had two hits and Hardy and Izzy Fetty each had one hit.
Caserta had two of Man’s three hits and scored one run. Johnson and Erika Mullins each crossed the plate once in the win.
West Virginia Little League Softball State Tournament
Charlie McCoy Town Park- Fayetteville, WV
Man 4, Jefferson 2
Man 100 300- 4 3 3
Jefferson 000 002- 2 4 2
Johnson, Blankenship (6) and Mullins. Hunt and Hamilton. Top hitters- M: Caserta 2-3, 2 R; Blankenship 1-3, HR, 3 RBI. J: Parcell 2-2; Fetty 1-2; Hardy 1-3.
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