LEESBURG — A day after quieting one South Hampton Roads potent offense, Woodgrove ace Abbey Lane stymied another one.
Lane, a junior right-hander, tossed a four-hit shutout and permitted only one runner to reach second base to lead Woodgrove to a 3-0 victory over Hickory in the Class 5 softball state championship game Saturday at Riverside High School.
Hickory (20-5) was playing in its second consecutive state championship game after falling 2-1 against Stone Bridge last season. The Hawks were bidding to become Chesapeake’s first softball state champ since Grassfield in 2015.
Instead, Woodgrove (27-1), of Purcellville, won its 18th consecutive game and collected the program’s fifth state title since 2011.
Lane, who has committed to George Mason, shut out Nansemond River in the semifinals Friday, and she handed Hickory its first shutout loss since April (5-0 against Nansemond River). The Hawks managed just three singles before Emily Miller’s leadoff double in the seventh inning.
Lane walked one and struck out three, and Hickory’s first three hits were spread apart in the second, fifth and sixth innings.
“We only had three strikeouts, but we haven’t seen a pitcher like that back home who gets in on your hands like she does,” Hawks coach Shane Smith said. “We did a good job laying off her riseball, but she threw quite a few more change-ups than she did yesterday and got in on our hands.”
Hickory’s Miller turned in another solid outing in the circle, giving up single runs in the second, third and sixth innings.
Emma Hooftallen doubled and scored on an Alaina Santoli single in the second, Erynn Thompson hit an RBI double in the third and Santoli laced an RBI triple in the sixth.
Class 5🥎championship: Woodgrove 3, Hickory 0. FINAL. pic.twitter.com/CHIzbseJOO
— 757Teamz (@757teamz) June 10, 2023
Jami Frankenberry, [email protected]. Twitter @JamiVP
