Floyd County softball beats Goochland 4-1 to win first state title  

RADFORD — It was a celebration decades in the making.

The Floyd County softball team won a state title for the first time, beating Goochland 4-1 in the Group A Division 2 final Sunday at Radford University.

“It is indescribably amazing,” right fielder Holly Britt said. “It’s one of the best feelings ever.”

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh, Christene Phillips retired Ericka Spencer on a grounder to end the game.

Phillips, who threw a seven-hitter, was mobbed by her teammates. Assistant coach Wayne Mills picked Phillips up and flung her over his shoulder.

The Buffaloes (23-3), who had led since the second inning, screamed, wept and hugged each other.

“I’m so excited!” second baseman Riley Underwood told a teammate.

Left fielder Dani Harris, the team’s only senior starter, held the championship trophy aloft and kept clutching it as she and her teammates received their individual medals.

“It’s a great graduation present,” said Harris, who had two hits and one RBI . “We came out looking for the gold and we went for it.”

Phillips, Underwood and Allison Overstreet grabbed a bucket of water out of the dugout and ran to second-year head coach Scott Thompson. Thompson backpedaled a few steps before accepting his dousing.

Floyd County was in the state final for the first time in the history of the program, which debuted in 1987.

But Phillips, shortstop Aimee Royal and center fielder Kristen Mills were also part of the girls basketball team that won a state title in March.

“I had a lot of butterflies [Sunday], but it helped me, being in a state championship before,” said Phillips, a junior. “I kind of just held my composure.”

Winning a second state title this year was amazing, said Royal. She said this one was even more special because it was the first state crown for softball.

“It’s really not the same thing at all,” said a teary-eyed Royal, a junior who had a two-RBI triple. “Because this has never been done before, it just means a lot to the school and to us as a team.”

Sophomore left-hander Jackie Tremain pitched a seven-hitter for Goochland (22-5), which was in the final for the first time since 1978.

Floyd grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second. Harris tripled, then scored on Underwood’s RBI single.

The Buffaloes added a run in the third. After Phillips singled and Royal reached base on an error, they advanced on a delayed double steal. Harris followed with an RBI single.

With her team up 2-0, Britt shined in right field in the top of the fourth. Tremain tried to advance from first to third on Carly Plummer’s single to right, but Britt fired to third and Tremain was tagged out.

“As soon as I had it, I gunned it there,” said Britt, a sophomore. “As soon as I threw it, I knew that it was on line. It was awesome.”

The Buffaloes scored two more runs in the fifth. After Mills had a bunt hit and Phillips walked, Royal smacked a two-RBI triple to right.

Phillips (13-2) held Goochland scoreless for the first six innings, when her dropball was clicking.

But the Bulldogs got to her in the tension-filled seventh, when Phillips allowed four hits and a run.

Brandi Tester doubled, advanced on a Tremain single and scored on a fielder’s choice grounder. The Bulldogs later loaded the bases with two outs.

Thompson had pulled Phillips in favor of Karlee Pendleton in the fourth inning of Floyd’s state quarterfinal and semifinal games, with Pendleton earning both wins with scoreless relief.

But this time he stuck with Phillips.

“I just had a gut feeling that Christene was going to get it done,” Thompson said.

Spencer hit a shot that might have cleared the bases and tied the score, but the ball fell just inches outside the right-field line into foul territory. Phillips then enticed her to ground to second for the final out.

“My prayers were definitely answered,” Phillips said.

Phillips, earning a complete-game win for the first time this postseason, struck out three and walked one.

Goochland 000 000 1 — 1 7 1

Floyd County 011 020 x — 4 7 0

Tremain and Tester; Phillips and Whitlow. W— Phillips (13-2). L— Tremain.

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