varsity.roanoke.com

KYLE GREEN The Roanoke Times

Glenvar third baseman Alyssa Blankenship (right) can't come up with the errant throw to third, as Altavista pitcher Brooke Short slides in safely during the game on Sunday. The throw ended up in the outfield, and Short scored on the play to make it 7-0. Glenvar lost to Altavista 7-1 in the girls group A State final at Radford University.

KYLE GREEN The Roanoke Times

Glenvar pitcher Brandy Bryant wipes away tears with her shirt after being pulled from the game in the third with the score 5-0.

RADFORD -- For the third straight year, the Glenvar High School softball team made it to the Group A title game.

But for the third straight year, the Highlanders were no match for the opposing pitcher.

The Highlanders committed five errors and didn't muster a hit until the seventh inning Sunday, falling to Altavista 7-1 at Radford University.

"It's pretty devastating," Glenvar junior right fielder/reliever Julie Helton said.

Glenvar came close to being shut out in the state final for the third straight year but scratched out a run in the top of the seventh.

Longwood signee Brooke Short pitched 6 1/3 hitless innings for Altavista (19-4), which made the state tournament for the first time this year. The senior left-hander finished with a two-hitter, striking out 11 and walking one.

_{The Highlanders (19-7), seeking their first state crown since 1997, sobbed at game's end.}

_{Glenvar players had vowed "third time's a charm" after their semifinal win Saturday, but they trailed 7-0 after four innings Sunday.}

_{"I'll probably lose sleep over it," senior first baseman Chasidy Williams said of the loss.}

_{"We got scared when we saw the pitcher -- a little nervous. It wasn't only speed; she had a lot of movement. Her change-up got a lot of us off balance, and then she'd come back with the fastball and you just can't catch up to it."}

_{It was the third straight year that Glenvar lost in the final to a team from the Dogwood District.}

_{In 2007, then-sophomore Amber Marstin -- who will pitch for Bridgewater College next spring -- threw a four-hitter to lead William Campbell to a 4-0 win. Last year, Teresa Dalton -- who was the 2009 ODAC rookie of the year at Randolph College -- pitched a two-hitter and struck out 13 to lead Gretna to a 2-0 victory.}

_{Short (19-3) was clocked at 64 mph earlier this season. She hurt Glenvar with riseballs, dropballs, fastballs and change-ups.}

_{"I mainly pitched outside -- they couldn't touch it," Short said.}

_{Williams said Short and Kentucky recruit Ellen Weaver of Salem were the best pitchers Glenvar faced this year.}

_{The Highlanders did not face a hard thrower Saturday, when they beat Virginia High's Lannie Johnston. They said the contrast from her was difficult.}

_{"It's hard to go from slow to fast," Helton said. Short "was throwing a pretty good dropball, and she got me on one of her riseballs."}

_{Glenvar committed six errors in the 2007 state final. The Highlanders also hurt themselves with gaffes Sunday, one day after committing no errors in an eight-inning semifinal.}

_{"I don't know where our heads were today, but they were not here," Williams said.}

_{Glenvar committed mental and physical mistakes in the first inning, when Altavista jumped to a 3-0 lead. After the Colonels loaded the bases on two infield hits and an error, Brandy Bryant hit Lindsay Mayberry with a pitch to bring in the first run. Lori Cox added a two-RBI single.}

_{"It was obvious we weren't ready to play," Glenvar coach Spike Harrison said. "The first three batters got on when players were just standing there."}

_{"First inning, we weren't thinking," Helton said. "It's just the thought of the big game."}

_{An error by left fielder Erin Campbell brought home two runs in the third inning.}

_{Errors by third baseman Alyssa Blankenship and catcher Julianna Caldwell brought in two runs in the fourth.}

_{"We were just really nervous," said Blankenship, one of three freshmen who start for Glenvar.}

_{Helton broke up Short's bid for a no-hitter with a single to left with one out in the seventh. She advanced on an error and scored on Kelsey Meador's infield hit.}

_{Glenvar 000 000 1 -- 1 2 5}

_{Altavista 302 200 x -- 7 7 1}

_{Bryant, Helton (3) and Caldwell; Short and Cox. W-- Short (19-3). L-- Bryant (7-2).}