In the last game of the regular season, the Gloucester High School varsity softball team defeated the Warhill Lions, 14-1, on the road last Wednesday, May 20.

Autumn Cookson opened the game offensively for the Lady Dukes with a single. Tessa Carteret then reached first base on a Warhill error. Cameron Palas drove them both in with a long double down the left-field line. Hannah Horsley singled to drive in Palas. Horsley would later score on an Addison Keister single for a 4-0 lead.

The Lady Dukes stretched the lead to 6-0 as Palas once again drove in Cookson and Carteret. Gloucester scored three more runs in the third inning and six more in the fourth for a 14-0 lead.

Cookson picked up the win, pitching three shutout innings, allowing two hits while striking out six batters. Harper Hardaway pitched the final two innings, giving up one unearned run.

Gloucester was led offensively by Palas as she recorded a single, double and five RBIs. Kyndall Sales and Horsley each had two hits and an RBI.

The Lady Dukes will face the Phoebus Phantoms tonight, Thursday, May 28, at 7 o’clock at Stoney Run Athletic Complex, Newport News, in a regional match. If Gloucester wins, the team will return to Newport News for a Tuesday night matchup with a state tournament berth at stake.

Season highlights

The Lady Dukes have won eight of their last nine games to finish the regular season at 14-7. During this winning streak, Gloucester has celebrated several individual player milestones.

Horsley, a senior, reached 100 hits for her career when she singled against Warhill in her first at-bat.

Carteret, a junior, reached 100 RBIs and 100 hits this past week. She reached her 100-RBI mark after hitting a long solo home run over the left centerfield fence for her third home run of the season. Carteret reached her 100th hit after singling in the first inning.

Cookson, a junior, also reached her 100th hit and 100th RBI recently. Against Tabb, Cookson hit an RBI single in the sixth inning for her 100th RBI and recorded her 100th hit during the Smithfield game.

“We have had a lot of girls reach some impressive milestones over the years, but to have five milestones reached in about a five-day period seems hard to comprehend,” said head coach David “Red” Lindsay. “Coach [Jason] Burns and I are so very proud of these young ladies.”