varsity.roanoke.com

KYLE GREEN The Roanoke Times

Glenvar pitcher Meredith Buckley (5) holds her hand to her head as she walks off of the field after her team lost to Gretna in the Group A softball championship game on Saturday. Chasidy Williams (16) is at her left. Buckley threw a two-hitter in the loss.

RADFORD -- For the second straight year, the Glenvar softball team reached the Group A title game.

But for the second straight year, the Highlanders were shut out.

Teresa Dalton pitched a two-hitter, striking out 13 and walking none, to help Gretna beat Glenvar 2-0 on Saturday at Radford University.

The Highlanders, who fell to William Campbell 4-0 last year, stranded six base runners Saturday.

"It's a little bit disheartening," losing pitcher Meredith Buckley said.

Buckley bent over, covered her eyes and wept after the game. Her teammates cried, too. Many of them continued to sob as they accepted their runner-up medals.

When it was time for the Hawks (21-4) to accept the championship trophy, Glenvar shortstop Kelly Knoebel went into the dugout, held her head in her hands and cried some more.

"I'm going to want a ring, and I still don't have it," Knoebel said.

It was the final game for four Glenvar starters, including standouts Buckley and Knoebel.

"We didn't want to go out like that," Buckley said.

It was Buckley's third loss in the Spring Jubilee. In addition to last year's title game, she lost in the 2005 semifinals despite throwing a no-hitter. Her team was shut out that time, too.

"I don't really like this field," Buckley said with a laugh.

Buckley (14-3) pitched a two-hitter, striking out seven and walking two. On Thursday, she came down with a stye in her eye, a staph infection and a virus. But she pitched the first four innings in Friday's semifinal and went the distance Saturday.

"I didn't feel that great, but when you get out here and it's your last shot to play with the team that you've had for four years, you try not to think about it," she said.

Gretna took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Nichole Mills doubled to left, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on Dalton's sacrifice fly to center.

The Hawks added a run in the sixth. Ceseley Haynes was hit by a pitch, although catcher Julianna Caldwell said Haynes leaned into the ball.

"That was a bullcrap call," Caldwell said.

Haynes stole second, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on a wild pitch that bounced off home plate. Haynes slid safely into home, although Buckley said she tagged Haynes in time.

Haynes "didn't deserve to be on base in the first place, and she was tagged out," Glenvar coach Spike Harrison said.

Glenvar (21-6) had scoring chances, thanks in part to four Gretna errors and a hit batsman, but the Highlanders came away empty.

Kaitlyn Barnett struck out with a runner on second to end the second inning.

Glenvar had runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth. But Julie Helton was tagged out at home when she tried to score on a squeeze bunt by Jorden Herald that was easily fielded by the catcher.

Herald reached first on the play and stole second, so Glenvar again had runners on second and third. But Jessica Horn popped up and Caldwell grounded out to end the inning.

Dalton (20-3), a Randolph College recruit, pitched a shutout for the third time in four games.

"She was throwing really good outside and low," Caldwell said. "We haven't had to face that a lot this year. We've been facing a lot [of pitches] inside. I just don't think we were prepared for that type pitcher."

Nine of Dalton's strikeouts came in the first three innings.

"We took far too long adjusting from an umpire that called nothing but the middle of the plate [Friday] to one who was [calling strikes] a good three inches outside," Harrison said.

Gretna won the first state softball title in its history.

"That's amazing," Dalton said. "We'll definitely go down in history for that."

Gretna 000 101 0 -- 2 2 4

Glenvar 000 000 0 -- 0 2 1

Dalton and Crews; Buckley and Caldwell. W-- Dalton (20-3). L-- Buckley (14-3).