St. Marys senior Cali Masters fired a 10-inning complete game three-hitter that featured four walks against 21 strikeouts, but the Blue Devils were unable to defend their Little Kanawha Conference crown after falling 1-0 to Wahama, which won its third title in the past four years, Friday night at the Sue Morris Sports Complex. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

GLENVILLE – Wahama’s senior class of Payton Staats, Kalyn Christian, Kate Reynolds, Elissa Hoffman, Phoebe Richardson and Zoie Mayes occupy the White Falcons’ 1-3-4-6-7-8 spots, respectively, in the lineup.

Here Friday night inside the Sue Morris Sports Complex the White Falcons of third-year boss Wes Riffle claimed their third Little Kanawha Conference championship in the last four years thanks to a 10-inning, 1-0, thriller against St. Marys, which was denied a repeat after winning its first crown a year ago against Roane County.

SMHS senior left-hander Cali Masters threw a gem for the defending Class A state champs and allowed just three hits while walking four and fanning 21, despite having issues with her footing on the wet artificial surface.

Mayes reached on an infield single via a slow roller to shortstop Landrey Riggs with one away in the top of the 10th. After No. 9 hitter Marlee Carr’s sac bunt attempt ended up in the glove of first baseman Autumn Mosser, Staats’ turn atop the order came up for the fifth time, and she delivered.

“I was waiting on an outside pitch. I mean she’d been hammering outside all night long and finally got one inside and got my pitch,” admitted Staats, who sent Masters’ 172nd offering off the wall in left for the only run of the game. “It’s amazing. They are like family. We all play for each other and carry each other on our backs.”

St. Marys' Adaleigh McGrady fouls an Elissa Hoffman offering off her foot during the Blue Devils' 10-inning, 1-0 Little Kanawha Conference setback to Wahama Friday night at the Sue Morris Sports Complex. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Hoffman was able to keep the Blue Devils’ bats quiet. Brylee McGrady had a one-out double in the fourth, but cleanup hitter Alyssa Winland’s shot to center was hauled in by Staats near the warning track and Madison Sturgeon went down on strikes.

In the sixth, Masters stroked a two-out double, but McGrady was retired on a fly out to Staats. Winland singled to center to open the seventh as head coach Lacy Riggs was hoping for a walkoff, but Hoffman retired six straight before allowing a Masters opposite-field single to left in the last of the ninth. Once again, though, Hoffman avoided any damage by retiring McGrady, Winland and pinch-hitter Emmalee Mossor.

After getting the lead in the 10th, Hoffman plunked Autumn Mossor and No. 8 hitter Jayla Cox with one out, but proceeded to fan Adaleigh McGrady and the leadoff hitter Bullman to end it.

“Eventually, yeah, I knew I had 14 innings to pitch and she had 14 innings to pitch, and then darn, eventually it was going to come down to the wire whether it be a bunt, whether it be a great hit just like Payton Staats had. I mean it was going to come down to the wire like that from the beginning,” Hoffman replied while holding an umbrella in a driving rain when asked if she thought the White Falcons could dent the scoreboard against Masters.

Hoffman walked one and punched out nine while allowing the quartet of hits.

St. Marys catcher Brylee McGrady frames a called third strike during the Blue Devils 10-inning, 1-0 Little Kanawha Conference championship game setback against Wahama on Friday night at the Sue Morris Sports Complex. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“At least we ended when we did,” Hoffman quipped as minutes before it was dry for the team picture. “It is really special for us because a lot of us have been here since that first win together with Mikie (Lieving) and Amber (Wolfe) and it’s really just something that we wanted to bring ourselves.

“You know, knowing that we can do it with or without them and that we have the capability just like they did. I mean this is just the beginning. We still have postseason. We really, really want to bring home another title, you know, just to leave our mark. Our six seniors, we’ve played together forever and this is really just something that we want to do to leave our mark just like they did.”

Masters walked catcher and two-hole hitter Fiona VanMatre in the first, but she still struck out the side, which also occurred in the third, seventh and ninth frames.

Wahama right fielder Audrey Reynolds walked in the second and was sacrificed by Hoffman, but Richardson and Mayes went down swinging.

The Blue Devil lefty proceeded to retire nine straight – eight via the whiff – before Richardson was hit in the fifth. Hoffman was issued a free pass with two away in the seventh, but Masters carried a no-hitter until two were gone in the eighth. Staats’ fourth plate appearance resulted in a base on balls and VanMatre finally came through with the first hit, but shortstop Kalyn Christian flied out to Ella Bullman in center.

St. Marys catcher Brylee McGrady catches a foul popup during Friday’s Little Kanawha Conference championship game in Glenville. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“Honestly, this is probably one of the best games I’ve ever seen her pitch,” said coach Riffle. “We knew tonight that we was going to need everything we had to beat a good, solid St. Marys team.

“This is huge. We got one more week of regular season next week. I mean those, at this point, are essentially warmup games for the tournament, but this is a massive, massive boost for the sectional tournament.”

The White Falcon head man thought Staats had enough for her third round-tripper of the year, but the double sufficed.

“I was actually surprised it didn’t carry,” said the coach. “I figured if we could keep in the game and get Cali’s pitch count up a little bit it would be just a matter of time before she missed, a, spot and Payton took advantage of that.”

Wahama improved to 20-4 and plays Monday at Southern while St. Marys slipped to 21-5 and will go for a season sweep of the Parkersburg Big Reds on Monday in Pleasants County.

The Wahama softball team celebrates after defeating St. Marys 1-0 in 10 innings in Friday’s Little Kanawha Conference championship game in Glenville. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“She’s a warrior. You know, her and Cali are different. In fact, Cali will blow one by you. Elissa, she does good as far as changing eye level, changing speeds and keeping hitters off-balance. Not a lot of people make real hard contact. She does a real good job working the ball in the zone and getting people to swing under it,” added Riffle, who also loves all the support.

“Our fans are the best man. They’ll travel anywhere. When we went to Tennessee and played, we went to Tennessee a couple weeks ago and everybody’s family went. Every player’s parent went and then we had people from the community actually drive down and spend three days to watch us.”

In the consolation game, Ravenswood senior right-hander Macy Casto fired a one-hit shutout with four walks and 16 strikeouts to lead the Red Devils to a 9-0 victory versus Ritchie County. Sophomore sister Anna Casto was a home run shy of the cycle and finished 4 for 4 with a double and a triple. Angelina Fowler had a game-high two runs-batted-in as losing pitcher Rocklyn Marcum allowed just one earned run and had the Rebels’ lone hit.

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

Wahama catcher Fiona VanMatre embraces battery mate Elissa Hoffman following the White Falcons' 10-inning, 1-0 Little Kanawha Conference championship game victory versus St. Marys on Friday night at the Sue Morris Sports Complex. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

St. Marys first baseman Autumn Mossor grabs a pop up during the Blue Devils' 10-inning, 1-0 setback during Friday's Little Kanawha Conference championship game at the Sue Morris Sports Complex. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)