Summerville (29-5) collected 15 hits while only allowing three to eliminate Wando (23-12) Friday and advance to the state softball finals for the first time.
In the 24 years the Green Wave has had a softball team, it has advanced to the Lower State finals a couple of times, but the 6-0 victory over Wando marks the first time the team has won. Next week, Summerville will face the winner of Friday night’s Upper-State championship game between Boiling Springs and Mauldin in a best-of-three series for the Class AAAA state title.
“This is awesome,” Summerville coach Heather Tucker said. “It has never been done here so it’s quite an accomplishment. I’m proud of the kids for getting here and having the fight they have had all season. Now we sure want to take it another step.”
Wave pitcher Malori Myers went the distance, striking out five batters en route to a three-hitter.
“We talked to her before the game,” Tucker said. “She usually throws really well in the AIT so we told her we want the AIT Malori to come out tonight and she did a great job. A lot of her pitches were working well and her catcher was doing a good job working with her.”
Ashley Muckelvaney led all batters, going 4-for-4 at the plate with three bunt singles, a run scored and an RBI. Sarah Montei was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Myers and first baseman Rochelle Lyda both had two hits and an RBI.
Outfielder Tori Gross had two of Wando’s hits, a single in the first inning and another in the sixth. Nicole Pellegirini had a single in the fourth.
The game was a defensive battle until the bottom of the fourth when Summerville scored a run off two hits. Montei opened the bottom of the frame with a bunt single. She then stole second and scored on a single by Lyda.
The Wave scored in similar fashion in the fifth. Muckelvaney got things going with a bunt single and stole second. She moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single by Myers.
Summerville added four runs in the sixth. Muckelvaney plated Alexa Ritchie with a hit. Tricia Sizemore came home after a throw got by the Wando third baseman. Nicole Seavey plated Muckelvaney with a single, moved over on a bunt and scored off a single by Montei.
Wando pitcher Katie Denning suffered the loss.