SOUTH CHARLESTON – The Oak Glen softball team is one win away from a state championship.

The Golden Bears’ four seniors will miss tonight’s graduation ceremony because they will instead have a chance to hoist the Class AA trophy this afternoon after winning both of their games on the first day of the state tournament Wednesday at Little Creek Park.

After edging out a 1-0 win over Petersburg in the opening game of the day, the Golden Bears got another strong pitching performance from sophomore ace Mattie Carney in the winners’ bracket final on Wednesday night as they blanked Logan 3-0 to go into today in the driver’s seat.

In the night cap, the Bears (29-10) got off to a quick 2-0 lead and it was more than enough with Carney dealing.

Riley Bruce and Addie Smith started things off in the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles, then, with two outs, Kayla Wright – who had the winning RBI in the opener – put a ball into the outfield and an error allowed both runners to cross.

In the third inning, Carney helped her own cause with a one-out triple, then scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0, which proved to be the final margin.

Carney scattered four hits in her second complete game shutout of the day, striking out eight batters and walking just one.

She finished the day with a combined 19 strikeouts allowing just four walks and six hits, all singles, across a combined 14 shutout innings.

Oak Glen played errorless ball in the field behind her in both games as well.

Logan (23-7) got a six-inning effort from Myleigh Adkins in the circle, striking out five and walking one. Ashlin Brumfield had two hits.

The Golden Bears chance to clinch the trophy will be a rematch with either Logan or Petersburg (22-11), who meet at 10:30 a.m. today in an elimination game. Petersburg stayed alive by topping Liberty 12-2 in an elimination game on Wednesday afternoon.

The winner of that game will meet the Golden Bears in the state championship at approximately 2:30 p.m. needing to win twice. If a second game is necessary, it would start 30 minutes after.

GAME ONE

In the opening game of the state tournament, sophomore ace Mattie Carney was dealing for the Golden Bears.

She fanned 11 batters, including two each in the first four innings, and walked three in firing a complete game, two-hit shutout.

And, thanks to her performance, the lone run Oak Glen was able to push across was enough for a 1-0 victory over Petersburg.

The Bears stranded two runners in the bottom of the first, had a double play prevent them from scoring after putting two one with one out in the second and stranded two more in the third leaving six runners on the basepaths and the game deadlocked at 0-0.

Their next chance to score, coming in the bottom of the fifth, finally produced a run.

The Bears loaded the bases with one out when Addie Smith singled, Carney doubled and the Vikings opted for an intentional walk, but Smith was cut down at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch.

Another walk – one of seven drawn by Oak Glen in the game – loaded the bases back up with two outs and the rain picking up, then finally they broke through when Kayla Wright drew an RBI walk on a full count to bring home what proved to be the game’s only run.

Petersburg did get out of the inning without any more damage, but not before a more than one-hour rain delay halted the action.

When the game resumed, Carney retired six of the last seven batters she faced, working a 1-2-3 seventh to seal the deal on a Game 1 victory.

Petersburg’s Olivia Kimble struck out four and walked seven in going all six innings for her team, while the Vikings’ S Tawney had both of the team’s hits.