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Abingdon's Kellie Dickey (left) celebrates with teammate Sabrina Viers after scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning against Hidden Valley on Thursday. The Falcons advance to the Region IV semifinals.

Photos by SAM DEAN The Roanoke Times

Hidden Valley's Lindsey Divers (6) is out at first base as Abingdon's Katelyn Stewart makes the catch during the Falcons' win Thursday.

Rain, rain, go away. ...

So we can finally finish up the Region IV softball quarterfinals.

As catchy as the original rhyme? Not at all.

But it had to be on the minds of most of the people in attendance at Thursday's game between host Hidden Valley and Abingdon.

And just as two pregame lightning delays threatened, yet again, to postpone a contest that was originally scheduled for Tuesday, nature finally complied.

The clouds receded long enough to showcase Abingdon's 2-1, 8-inning win over the Titans, advancing the Falcons to the Region IV semifinals.

And it was a tight win, indeed.

"It's a shame anyone had to lose that game," Abingdon coach Jason Delp said. " That was a great game. I'd have paid to watch that game."

Freshman pitchers Kaitlyn Pruitt of Abingdon and Kelsey Crotty of Hidden Valley both threw all eight innings of what was a highly defensive game between two young teams.

But it was the Falcons (11-12) that got the big break that both teams had been searching for all game.

With two outs in the eighth and a runner on third, Pruitt hit a ground ball to the mound.

In a moment of indecision Crotty went to throw to first, hesitated and turned to home just in time to see Kellie Dickey score the winning run.

Three outs in the bottom of the inning, and the season was over.

Asked if the delays to the game had any effect, Titans coach Katrina Kish was dismissive.

"I think we were ready to play today, we just didn't get the breaks that we needed," she said.

Abingdon scored its first run in the third inning when Sabrina Viers scored on Hannah Bays' sacrifice fly.

Hidden Valley (14-8) struck back in the fifth. Sabrina Kramer hit a lead-off single and Kelsey Kendrick came in to pinch run, eventually scoring on Kelsie Houck's two-out double.

Kramer had two hits for Hidden Valley while Dickey had three hits for Abingdon.

For Houck, a senior, it was her last game as a Titan.

"We've had such a great year," she said. "It was really fun to play with these girls."

Hidden Valley catcher Sarah Cutright couldn't contain her emotions after the game, expressing how hard it will be to leave this team.

"I mean, it's one [heck] of a team," the senior said. "This is the most we've bonded, the best we've done, probably most records we've broken.

"I don't know, we just clicked ... This team has so much talent it's insane."

For Kish now, it's about taking this experience and improving with her young team, so it doesn't happen next year.

"This is tough, but it comes down to win or go home," she said.

Abingdon 001 000 01 --2 9 1

Hidden Valley 000 010 00 --1 4 1

Pruitt and Proulex; Crotty and Cutright. W -- Pruitt. L -- Crotty.