After two region wins, the Gloucester High School varsity softball team has earned a spot in the state tournament and will advance to the Class 4 Region A finals tonight.
The Lady Dukes picked up a shutout win of 18-0 against the Phoebus Phantoms in the region quarterfinals last Thursday at Stoney Run Athletic Complex in Newport News.
Cameron Palas singled in the first inning, scoring Autumn Cookson and Tessa Carteret for a quick 2-0 lead. With this hit, Palas broke the state record for career RBIs. The previous record was held by Erica Field of Osbourne Park High School, who has held the record since 2012. Palas drove in two more runs later in the game to bring her all-time RBI total to 160.
The game against Phoebus ended after four-and-a-half innings as Palas and Addison Keister drove in four runs each. Tessa Carteret, Winnie Carlton and Alexis Dishman contributed two RBIs in the win. Cookson and Keister each had two hits on the night.
Cookson picked up the win, pitching three innings and striking out nine batters. Harper Hardaway finished the shutout win by pitching two innings with three strikeouts.
Grafton
Gloucester returned to Stoney Run Tuesday night to defeat the Grafton Clippers, 10-6, in the region semifinals. With the Lady Dukes trailing the Clippers, 6-1, Gloucester started the seventh inning with three consecutive singles by Alexis Dishman, Keister and Kyndall Sales. Hardaway, Cookson and Carteret were all walked by Grafton to cut the Clippers’ lead to 6-4.
Palas singled for an RBI, followed by Hannah Horsley whose hit drove in two runs, giving Gloucester a 7-6 lead. Keister then drove in two runs with an infield single for a 9-6 lead. Sales then doubled to deep centerfield for a 10-6 lead, driving in Keister.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Hardaway earned the first two outs on the pitcher’s mound. Carteret ended the inning by catching a grounder at shortstop.
Hardaway struck out four batters in 4 1/3 innings, serving as relief for Cookson. Sales led Gloucester offensively with three hits for four at-bats with a double and an RBI, while Keister recorded two hits for four at-bats with two RBIs.
Gloucester will return to Stoney Run once more to compete against the Jamestown Eagles in the region finals. The game will begin at 5 o’clock tonight, Thursday, June 4. Regardless of the outcome, Gloucester will be heading to the state tournament for the third consecutive year.