Gloucester varsity softball players punched their ticket to the state tournament with a 2-0 victory over the fifth-seeded Hickory Hawks in the Eastern Regional Tournament Monday morning at the Stoney Run Sports Complex.

The win pushes Gloucester (21-1) to the Class 5 state tournament for the first time since 2013. The top-seeded Dukes were scheduled to take on number two Menchville (20-2) in the regional finale at 5:30 p.m. yesterday at Stoney Run.

Regardless of the outcome of yesterday’s regional championship game, Gloucester has earned a berth in the state tournament, which begins Tuesday. The state semifinal and championship games will be played on Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8, at Glen Allen High School.

The game with Hickory remained scoreless until the fifth inning when Gloucester’s Bridget Motley hit a one-out line-drive double down the third-base line. Laura Tobin followed with a sharply hit ground ball to right centerfield to score Motley for a 1-0 lead.&nbs...