VIENNA — Only twice all season did Herbert Hoover allow more than two runs in a game.
One of those instances came on April 5 against Sissonville, a 9-8 setback for the Huskies that prevented them from going unbeaten for a second straight season.
High-level pitching was on display often and it was again the name of the game for Hoover at the state tournament.
On Thursday against Petersburg, Delani Buckner’s dominance allowed the Huskies to claim a third straight Class AA championship. Buckner struck out 13 over a complete game, keying her team to a 5-1 win over Petersburg at Jackson Memorial Park.
“Part of the reason she was good today goes back to Presley (McGee) yesterday. She didn’t have to throw 14 innings yesterday and then come back and throw seven today,” Hoover coach Missy Smith said. “When she steps on the mound and she’s focused, she’s hard to beat.”
Hoover (34-1) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning courtesy of RBI singles from Cortney Fizer and Grayson Buckner.
Delani Buckner, meanwhile, struck out seven over the first three innings as the Vikings (32-5) had trouble generating offense one day after being shutout in a loss to Hoover.
Although Hoover scored only nine runs in the state tournament, it earned another title after allowing only one run in the three games.
“heir pitching is always so good,” Petersburg coach Dwayne Hedrick said. “You know coming in what you’re going to be facing.”
The run the Huskies allowed came on Jenna Burgess’ home run in the fourth, which cut the PHS deficit in half.
But the Vikings got no closer and by the time they came to bat in the fifth, the deficit was up to 5-1 after Presley McGee’s two-run single in the bottom of the inning provided Hoover with insurance.
“We’ve said from the beginning not every game is going to be easy and that’s OK,” Smith said. “We have guts and we have heart and whenever you have that and work hard together and believe in each other, then we can accomplish any goal we set.”
The Huskies were also playing with heavy hearts as assistant coach Jamanda Rollyson was away from the team to attend her brother’s funeral.
“For the girls to rally around that and play hard for her, it’s a big deal,” Smith said.
McGee, Grayson Buckner and Meagan Seafler paced the Hoover offense with two hits apiece.
Jenna Burgess pitched five valiant innings in defeat, striking out three and walking three.
“You have to play perfect and if you don’t they take advantage of it,” Hedrick said. “They do a good job of it.”
Burgess had pitched seven stellar innings earlier Thursday to lead Petersburg past Independence, 5-2, in an elimination game.
Madison Whetzel drove in a pair of runs for the Vikings in the win.
