By RICK FARLOW, Gazette-Mail
Winfield senior hurler Maci Boggess reached the mountaintop of her high school softball career this season.
Boggess, a Youngstown State signee, was dominant on the state’s biggest stage, going 3-0 with 25 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched in the Class AA state tournament as she helped the Generals to their first-ever state softball title.
Boggess, who ended her career with a 1.27 ERA, earned one more accolade as she was named captain of the Class AA all-state first team, as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
“There’s not a better way to end your season than like this,” Boggess said. “This senior class has worked so hard for so many years to make this dream a reality. I’m just glad we could do that this year.”
It’s Boggess’ second year in a row making the first team. She was a utility player on last year’s Class AA squad.
In 130 innings pitched this season, Boggess went 20-0 with 185 strikeouts and a 0.54 ERA. Her WHIP was .748 and she pitched eight shutouts. Boggess’ opponents’ batting average was .158.
In her career (three seasons — no freshman season due to COVID-19) Boggess had a record of 40-10 with 449 strikeouts in 364 innings pitched.
At the plate in her career, Boggess had a .357 batting average with six home runs and 78 RBIs.
“I think the biggest thing about her is the amount of time and work she’s put into her game overall,” Winfield coach Steve Hensley said. “It’s just really great to see that work pay off for her. Softball is a big part of what she does. It’s good to see that work rewarded.”
Though Boggess was thrilled to win a state championship, that 3-0 win over Herbert Hoover marked the last time she played with some of her lifelong friends.
“That was the last game I ever got to play with the girls I grew up with,” Boggess said. “I’ll never get to play with them again. I think I’ll cherish that game forever and ever. I will remember every single play of that game for the rest of my life.”
Boggess will, however, join former teammate and 2022 Class AA all-state first team captain Kennedy Dean, who plays at Youngstown State.
“I’m super-excited,” Boggess said. “She’s like my best friend, so I have that to look forward to. I have some travel teammates that are there. I’m just glad to get to play with some of my best friends for four more years.”
Joining Boggess on the first team are teammates Georgia Moulder (senior outfielder) and Chloe Kimble (senior catcher). Moulder hit .512 with 15 doubles, four home runs and 37 RBIs. Kimble had a .500 batting average with seven home runs and 51 RBIs.
Independence seniors Delaney Buckland (pitcher) and Kendall Martin (outfielder) represent the Patriots on the first team.
Buckland made the first team for the third year in a row after she went 22-6 with a 1.29 ERA and 280 strikeouts. She also hit .342 with 21 RBIs. Martin hit .409 with five home runs and 33 RBIs.
Two Herbert Hoover players made the first team, as senior catcher Sydney Bright and senior utility player Josi Fix got the nod for the runner-up Huskies.
Fix hit .403 with 20 RBIs while she went 8-3 with a 2.26 ERA and 46 strikeouts in the circle. Bright had a .338 batting average and hit four home runs and seven triples on her way to a 20-RBI season.
Delaney Haller is the lone Lincoln representative on the first team. The senior pitcher had a .500 batting average with eight home runs and 34 RBIs and she had a 0.61 ERA with 329 strikeouts.
Oak Glen’s Lizzie Kell and Sydney Brown made the first team. Kell, a senior pitcher, had a 1.78 ERA with 15 wins and 241 strikeouts while she hit .382 and tallied 21 RBIs. Brown, a senior outfielder, had a .457 batting average with 34 RBIs.
Sophomore infielder Courtney Boggs is Lewis County’s lone first-teamer. Boggs hit .607 with five home runs and 31 RBIs.
Maddy Lawson represents Bluefield on the first team as the sophomore infielder hit .588 with three home runs and 50 RBIs for the Beavers.
Roane County senior infielder Lacy Mitchell hit .451 with nine home runs and 47 RBI as she earned a first-team spot.
Logan has two first-teamers in junior outfielder Taylor Noe and freshman utility player Myleigh Adkins. Noe had a .495 batting average with six home runs and six triples, while Adkins hit .496 with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs.
Senior utility player Kayley Bane made the first team for Wyoming East.
Keyser sophomore catcher Tayler Likens represents the Golden Tornado. Scott senior utility player Tatum Halley helped the Skyhawks to the region championship, where they fell to eventual state champion Winfield.
Roane County junior pitcher Mahailey Nicholson captains the second team as she went 22-8 with a 3.09 ERA and 273 strikeouts in 154 innings pitched.
Joining her as second-team pitchers are Frankfort sophomore Avery Noel, Nicholas County junior Cambrea Neal and Herbert Hoover junior Laila Varney.
The second-team infielders are Liberty (Raleigh) junior Keandra Spurlock, Poca junior Lindzie Runnions, Liberty (Harrison) senior Charlie Johnson, Keyser senior Morgan Pratt and Lewis County senior Addison Heath.
In the outfield, Robert C. Byrd senior Alyssa Dunn, Logan junior Harlee Quick and Chapmanville sophomore Brooke Christian made the second team.
Oak Glen senior Sarah Brown and Philip Barbour sophomore Katelyn Cooper are the second-team catchers.
The four second-team utility players are Berkeley Springs sophomore Alaira Harrington, Philip Barbour sophomore Avery McDaniel, Wyoming East senior Savannah Brehm and Shady Spring freshman Avary Bragg.
All-state plaques are available to all-staters at wvswa.org or bearwoodcompany.com. They are state-shaped, wood plaques inscribed with the WVSWA logo, name, high school and year of the honoree.
