Gloucester High School varsity softball players ended their 2019 season Tuesday in heartbreaking fashion with a 1-0 setback to the host Glen Allen Jaguars in the Division 5 state quarterfinals. The Dukes closed their season at 21-3. 

Gloucester pitcher Mackenzie Smith was the hard luck loser, dropping her record to 18-3. Smith was perfect through 4.1 innings and retired 21 of the 24 batters she faced through seven innings. In the eighth, Smith wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam as she retired the number three hitter on a fly ball to left fielder Hailey Hardaway.

In the deciding ninth inning, Smith gave up a leadoff single but retired the next two hitters on a popup to shortstop Courtney Hall and a strikeout.

With two outs, Taylor Cochrane hit a soft line drive that just sneaked under the glove of a diving Makenna Keyes for the game’s only run. Smith gave up five hits while striking out 11 in the nine-inning affair.

Offensively, the Dukes had four base runners in scoring p...