Magnolia High School Girls’ Softball Region I Class-A Champions

Magnolia senior Ashley Moore doubled home Tylar Seckman in the bottom of the seventh to give the Lady Blue Eagles a 1-0 victory over the St. Marys Lady Blue Devils May 22 in the Class-A Region 1 championship game at New Martinsville.

The Blue Devils’ leadoff batter reached on an error in the top of the first inning, but the runner would be stranded, as Mallory Chapman struck out the next two batters and then forced a ground out to end the inning. The Eagles went down in order in the bottom of the first.

Chapman then recorded a pair of strike outs in the top of the second and the Devils went down in order. In the home half of the second, the Eagles’ Davianne Croasmun reached on a one-out error and Stephanie Mullett followed that up with a single. After a double steal, the Eagles couldn’t get them in and stranded two in scoring position.

Audrey Gibb caught a pop-up at the plate for the first out of the next frame. Chapman then struck out the next two batters to end the inning. In the bottom half, Gibb singled, but Chapman grounded out to first to end the inning with neither team getting a run.

After a pair of ground-outs to start the next inning, the Devils’ number four hitter walked. But Chapman struck her out to end the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Mullett singled with two outs. However, Emily Clegg would fly out for the final out of the inning with the game still scoreless.

Ashley Moore

In the top of the fifth, the Devils laid down a pair of infield singles, mixed in between a fielder’s choice. However, the next batter hit a ground ball to Abby Durig at short, who stepped on second, then fired the ball to Katie Blatt at first to end the inning with a tailor-made double play.

In the home half of the fifth, Erinn Clegg reached on an error. However, the inning ended when Moore grounded into a double play.

In the top of the sixth, the Devils got a two-out walk, but the next batter flew out to Blatt at first to end the inning. In the home half, Gibb singled to start the inning and Chapman walked to put runners at first and second, with no outs. Durig then reached on a fielder’s choice, but Croasmun then struck out and Mullett flew out to short to end the inning with the game still scoreless heading into the finale inning.

Chapman struck out the side in the seventh to bring the hosts to the plate for their final at bat. Emily Clegg grounded out to first to start the inning. Jordan Grimm then walked, followed by an Erinn Clegg ground out.

Then came the big hit that sent Magnolia fans into wild celebration. Moore smacked a 1-1 pitch into right field that got past the fielder and scored Seckman, who was running for Grimm.

Emily Clegg

With the win, the Eagles are headed to the state tournament in Vienna, W.Va, for the first time since 2006, when current assistant coach Kayla Brill was a sophomore catcher on the squad.

The Eagles will take on Sherman at 9 a.m. in the first round of the Class-A state championships today. If the Lady Eagles prevail, they will take on the winner of Moorefield and Buffalo, 30 minutes after the 4:30 p.m. game. If they would lose, they will play the loser of the Moorefield/Buffalo game at 4:30 p.m.

If the Eagles win one of these two games on Wednesday, they will play at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. If they win both games on Wednesday, in the double-elimination state championship, they will play for the championship at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Pictured from left are, Magnolia seniors Emily Clegg, Jordan Grimm, Mallory Chapman, Ashley Moore, Stephanie Mullett, and Erin Clegg with their Region I Championship plaque. (Photos by Whitney Clegg)