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Oak Glen’s softball run comes to end

VIENNA – Veteran head coach Morgan Bricker got the start she had hoped for when her Golden Bears opened the W.Va. State High School softball tournament with a 3-2 win over Wyoming East in Wednesday’s opening round game.

However, the rest of the tournament went downhill for Oak Glen as the Northern Panhandle squad was eliminated one game shy of the title game by an 11-0 score against defending champion Chapmanville in Thursday’s opener.

“Of course, it’s heartbreaking,” Bricker explained. “You work and you work and you work all season to get here. It’s hard to swallow. Especially, for your seniors. But, there were all kinds of positives that we can take from this.

“If you get stuck on the scores from the last two games, you diminish what you have done to just get here. I’m proud of our girls. They never gave up. Even when they got behind by a large margin. And, that’s what I will take from all of this. We never laid down. We never quit.”

Oak Glen finished with a 23-10-1 mark and loses only three seniors.

“That’s the key,” continued Bricker. “We return a lot of kids who gained a ton of experience in the two days we were down here and that can only help up next spring when the season begins. They know that they could have played better and hopefully that will be what will drive them during the offseason and through the regular season next year.”

Senior Hannah Clunk started in the circle for the Golden Bears and held her own against the Tigers through the first two innings, surrendering only one run on one hit. But, just like Wednesday’s 16-1 setback to Herbert Hoover, the big inning again proved to be the team’s downfall.

Chapmanville, which is looking for its seventh state title, sent 14 batters to the plate in the top half of the third inning and scored nine runs on eight hits to blow open the affair and turn the game into a rout.

“It happens,” said the coach. “It’s that snowball effect. One hit leads to another and then another. Give them (Chapmanville) credit. They hit the ball hard. There were some plays that we could have made that we didn’t, but those things happen in any sport.”

Clunk, who has already signed to play at Fairmont State University, finished with 10 runs – seven earned – on nine hits, one walk and a pair of strikeouts. Sophomore Graci Tice hurled the final two innings, allowing one run on five hits with a strikeout.

For Chapmanville (25-4), which now must beat Herbert Hoover twice to repeat as Class AA kingpins, Kenzie McCann hurled no-hit ball for the first two innings and struck out two while freshman Charlee Mullins picked up the victory, allowing two hits and striking out two over the final three frames.

At the plate the Tigers received a pair of hits from McCann – the first being a triple to open the game – third baseman Hollie Carter, right fielder Karah Little, centerfielder Kara Browning and first baseman Kerston Kennedy.

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