Photo courtesy of the WVSSAC MAKING CONTACT — Brooke's Keira Kosut gets her bat on the ball during the late game at the Class AAA state tournament Tuesday night.

Brooke — the No. 7 seed — took an early lead against No. 6 seed PikeView, however, the Panthers plated the final four runs and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh inning en route to a 4-1 win in Game 6 of the West Virginia Class AAA State Tournament Tuesday night on Rock Field B inside Little Creek Park.

“It is a heartbreaker,” Brooke (18-18) head coach Tommmy Diserio said. “It is bittersweet. We set out this season with a goal of making the postseason, winning the regionals and getting to the state tournament, and we were able to do that. Our final message to the girls was this season serves as the building block. This season set the foundation. We are going to build off of this. In any high school game, someone wins and someone loses. We just came up short today at the end.”

With the win, PikeView (23-8) will play in an elimination game against the loser of today’s opening game between No. 1 seed John Marshall and No. 5 seed Keyser.

The game was all knotted up at 1 going into the bottom of the fifth inning when PikeView took advantage of two Brooke errors as the Panthers plated three runs to take control of the game. Zoey Tupper reached on an error to lead off the inning, and the No. 9 batter advanced to second on a single to center by pitcher Shelby Maddox putting two runners on base. Both runners moved up on stolen bases, and Tupper scored the go-ahead run when Emma Compton reached on an error to make the score, 2-1. Then, Lauren Lambert tripled to center scoring Maddox and Compton to give the victors a 4-1 advantage. The Bruins were able to get out of the inning without any more damage being done thanks to a pair of groundouts.

Photo courtesy of the WVSSAC PITCHING — Brooke's Eden McKinney delivers in the late game at the Class AAA state tournament on Tuesday night.

“That inning, we talked among ourselves as a coaching staff and we said we got six outs, but only three of them counted,” Diserio said. “That has been our kryptonite all season. Unearned runs have hurt us all season That is something we are going to work on in the offseason. That is something we are going to have to clean up and fix. If you take away unearned runs, you give yourself a chance to win, but when that happens, you put yourself behind the 8-ball, and it is very hard to come out on the winning end.”

The Bruins were down to their last at-bat in seventh, and Brooke attempted to rally. Gabby Hornick walked to lead off the inning. Then after a strikeout, Avary Martino and Maggie Diserio drew back-to-back walks loading the bases. The Bruins had something going, however, Shelby Maddox was able to put out the fire thanks to a game-ending double play enabled PikeView to escape and play another day.

“That was a hard-hit ball,” Coach Diserio said. “Our baserunners reacted the way they are supposed to. It was a hard-hit ball, and nine times out of 10, on a good day that scores two with a chance to score three. It was hit hard, but they were able to field it cleanly and they were able to win the game.

“If we had to do it over again, we would have done the same thing. We wouldn’t have changed anything. We had to be aggressive. We had to look to score some runs. We would want a better outcome, but we wouldn’t change anything.”

Maddox picked up the win inside the circle for the Panthers. She struck out 12 while walking six.

Eden McKinney took the loss for Brooke. She struck out three while walking one.

“Making it to the state tournament is a huge accomplishment for the girls,” Coach Diserio said. “The past three seasons – not counting this season – we had 21 wins. We got eliminated in the sectionals and in the regionals. We came out this year, and we went 18-18. We were the No. 2 seed in the regionals. Making the state tournament is a huge accomplishment for every single player, every single coach as well as the school. We were able to lay down the foundation. We laid the bricks on the road. This is our seniors legacy. Now, it is up to the underclassmen, who are going to take the spots of the seniors. It is now their job.”

Brooke scored first in the top of the first to take the early lead. Maggie Diserio led off the game by drawing a walk, Eden McKinley singled and then Avery Rado also drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Keira Kosut hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring Diserio to give the girls from Brooke County the early 1-0 lead.

The Panthers countered with a run in the second to draw even at 1. Lambert singled to left to start the inning, however, she was out at second on a fielder’s choice. Taylor Wright followed with a bunt for a hit moving Bella Delida, who reached on the fielder’s choice, up to second before she scored on a single by Annie White to even the score at 1-all.

The girls from Mercer County had an opportunity to take the lead in the fourth. White singled to left with two outs before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Kaci Fine followed by drawing a walk putting two runners on base, however, White was picked off at second by Maggie Diserio – Brooke’s catcher – to end the threat and the inning.

The girls in black had an opportunity to regain the lead in the fifth, but two big outs prevented them from doing that. Maggie Diserio reached on an infield single with one out, and she advanced to second on a wild pitch to put herself in scoring position, however, Maddox was able to get out of the inning thanks to a flyout and a strikeout to keep the score deadlocked at 1.

The locals got a runner on in the second and again in the fourth, however, they were stranded on the bases.

“We bounced back from the first game where we did not get any runners on in the game,” Coach Diserio said. “Getting runners on was a huge accomplishment. We were able to get runners on base, and I think that broke the girls’ nerves. It let them play the game they no how to play. We told them all year to just play the game.”

The game was the final one for Brooke’s four seniors – Jazmyn Wood, Jaime Mossisette, Marionna Dipaolo and Emma Michel.

“Those four seniors have been huge for us,” Coach Diserio said. “Each one had a role play in our program. I have been fortunate to coach them throughout their careers. I started coaching them in T-ball or in 8U. This is a hard group for me. They are my first group where I have coached from start to finish. They completed their careers with me. I got to coach them at the start, and I got to coach them at the end of their seasons.”

The four seniors will be difficult to replace, however, the Bruins will return a good group of players next year while also getting a solid group of players from the middle school level.

“We always stay in contact with our middle school coaches,” Coach Diserio said. “The coaches have given us their thoughts on the players in eighth grade, who can come up and play. This season has changed things. You do not always get all the eighth graders you think will come out and play. This season has changed things. With the way we preformed and with the expectations we have set going forward, I think there will be more interest throughout the school district. Girls are going to want to come out and compete.”

Brooke opened the day by falling to No. 2 seed Winfield, 8-0, in four-and-a-half innings.

“I am proud of the girls,” Coach Diserio said. “I told them from the start that our motto was family. We had to be there for each other when we were needed. There were a lot of ups and downs this season. There were a lot of long nights, a lot of long trips and a lot of long practices this season, but we held together until the end. We want to continue this for all the years to come.”

PikeView 4, Brooke 1

Brooke 100 000 0 – 1 1 3

PikeView 010 030 X – 4 7 1

BROOKE (18-18): McKinney (3K, 1BB) and Diserio. Diserio S; McKinney S; Kosut RBI.

PIKEVIEW (23-8): Maddox (12K, 6BB) and Wright. Maddox S; Compton S; Lambert S, T, 2RBI; Wright S; White 2S, RBI.