Andrew Grimm HEADED TO STATE — The Brooke softball poses with the regional championship trophy after Friday's victory.

The Bruins pulled away from Grafton Friday evening for a 7-2 victory, their second in the tournament over the Bearcats, clinching their side of the Class AAA, Region 1 bracket and earning a long-awaited trip to Charleston.

“This win is huge for the school,” Brooke head coach Tommy Diserio said. “We have been telling the girls all along that we believe in them, we trust them and we love them and for them to be the second team in Brooke history to win a regional championship and clinch a state tournament berth is huge for these girls.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to coach most of these girls since they were five years old. This kind of brings it all full circle.”

After Eden McKinney’s game-ending strikeout sent everyone into a frenzy, the Bruins (17-14) celebrated the first regional title for the program in more than two decades with members of the youth program.

Andrew Grimm CELEBRATION — Brooke players celebrate after the final out of Friday's regional victory.

“One of the things that we’ve preached to the kids was family, that was a theme coming into this year,” Diserio said. “That seals it (when you see the youth players out there with them). We’re involved in the community, we put the kids out there and to have the youth program kids come here and celebrate with us, that’s what it’s all about. That’s what builds the program, what builds the pride and tradition we’re used to at Brooke.”

A large crowd was on hand to celebrate with them as there were cars parked along both sides of Cross Creek Road along with a full parking lot and the outfield fence lined with spectators on top of the regular seating areas.

“This is huge,” Diserio said. “The entire community is rallying around us, it has been a long time coming for Brooke High School on the softball field. This is huge for them and you can see it in the support that we have here with the parents, grandparents, the youth sports, it’s great.”

After taking leads of 1-0 in the second inning and 2-1 in the third, the Bruins finally broke things open in the bottom of the fifth.

They loaded the bases with no one out, and, while the Bearcats (15-12) were able to get two outs without a run crossing, the flood gates broke open for five runs before the inning ended.

Andrew Grimm DELIVERY — Brooke's Eden McKinney delivers a pitch against Grafton.

Emma Bober’s two-out double to right field cleared the bases and made it 5-1 Brooke, then after a pair of errors, two more runs came across.

“We told them to keep playing their game,” Diserio said of the message when it was a tight battle. “We told them to play like they know how to play and that’s what they did.”

Avery Rado’s RBI single in the second inning have given Brooke the lead and Emma Michel’s RBI in the first had opened the scoring.

Rado, Keira Kosut and McKinney each finished with a pair of hits, McKinney tripling to set up Rado’s RBI.

McKinney fired a strong game in the circle, striking out four and walking two in a complete game effort. Just one of the runs against her was earned.

Andrew Grimm MAKING THE PLAY — Brooke third baseman Jazmyn Wood fires across to first for an out.

The Bruins will have 17 days to prepare for the state tournament before they take the field in South Charleston as the Class AAA portion of things takes place June 2-4.

“We’ll get some good practice time in, work on some fundamentals and prepare for what we’re going to see down state,” Diserio said.

WVSSAC Class 3A Tournament

Region 1, Bracket 2 Final

No. 2 Brooke 7, No. 3 Grafton 2

Andrew Grimm AROUND THIRD — Brooke's Keira Kosut makes the turn at third base to head towards home plate.

G 0-0-1 0-0-1 0 — 2 5 7

B 0-1-1 0-5-0 x — 7 10 1

GRAFTON (15-12): Blair (LP, 6IP, 7R, 2ER, 10H, 3K, 0BB) and Holley. Horne 2S, RBI; Poling S; Carr S; Trimble S.

BROOKE (17-14): McKinney (WP, CG, 2R, 1ER, 5H, 4K, 2BB) and Diserio. McKinney T, S; Bober D, 3RBIs; Diserio S; Rado 2S, RBI; Wood S; Kosut 2S; Michel RBI.

Andrew Grimm CONTACT — Brooke's Maggie Diserio connects with her swing.