“It’s really emotional, so it’s hard to control that in a big game,” Spicer said.

Then Woodgrove’s offense jolted to life.

Junior Abbey Lane’s double in the top of the fifth brought home two, and the Wolverines never ceded that edge in a 2-0 victory to advance to their first state championship appearance since 2019.

Woodgrove (26-1) will take on Hickory (20-4) in the Class 5 title game Saturday at Riverside High, giving the Wolverines a chance to avenge their 4-2 loss to the Hawks in last year’s state semifinal.

Lane left her mark on both sides of the ball, striking out 11 batters and holding the Warriors (19-4) to just two hits in addition to her two doubles at the plate. The junior said she felt the pressure inside the dugout before the game began, a collective anxiety in the face of an elimination bout.

“I just wanted to win for my team because they’re like my sisters,” Lane said. “We have good coaches. They just calmed us down a little bit because our nerves were up, but we got the hits and scored, so we were good.”

By the sixth inning, those nerves had dissipated. Lane fanned five of Nansemond River’s last seven batters, closing out her performance by pushing a rise ball past a swinging bat before being mobbed by her teammates inside the pitching circle.

“We were hoping to get back here and have a chance; we have six outstanding seniors,” Spicer said. “They’ve played in big games, so we definitely thought we had the right personnel to get here, so we were definitely shooting for this game.”

In the other Class 5 semifinal, Riverside (21-6) lost to Hickory, 4-3. The Rams jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning courtesy of an RBI single by Ashley Gabbert that scored Northwestern commit Kaylie Avvisato from first base, but the Hawks responded with two runs of their own in the following inning.

The Rams fell into a deeper hole before Hailey Peterson homered in the sixth to bring them closer, but Riverside fell a run short.

“They’re competitors — as you saw until the very last out — and they’re going to fight,” Coach Kevin Bednoski said. “We had to come back in the quarterfinal game, so it’s not a problem for us. Just came up a little bit short today.”

Madison, McLean reach Class 6 title game

In Class 6 action, defending champion Madison eked past Osbourn Park, 2-1, at Champe High in Aldie.

Back-to-back RBI groundouts in the third inning helped the Warhawks (25-2) climb out of an early one-run hole, and Ava Livingston held the Yellow Jackets (21-5) scoreless for the final six innings.

“Couldn’t be more proud for our girls,” Madison Coach Jim Adkins said. “They’ve earned the opportunity to play in the last game of the season for the second year in a row, and that’s really an honor and a privilege to be able to do that, so it feels great.”

Osbourn Park brought the potential winning run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, but a game-ending groundout ended the threat. The Warhawks — who beat Cosby, 7-6, in last year’s state title game — will take on McLean (15-6) in the Class 6 championship game Saturday.

The Highlanders needed to win twice Friday to punch their ticket to the state final. After their quarterfinal matchup scheduled for Thursday was pushed to Friday morning because of air quality concerns, McLean took to the field at 9 a.m. to face Lake Braddock (22-4).

McLean won, 2-0, as sophomore pitcher Hailey Simpson struck out 11 Bruins. The Highlanders were then given just hours to rest before retaking the same field against Kellam (23-2).

“We’re a loose bunch. We’re having fun,” McLean Coach Maurice Tawil said after the quarterfinal win. “We’ve been checking off boxes all season.”

McLean’s state semifinal bout against the Knights proved to be the toughest box yet. The Highlanders fell behind by two runs heading into the seventh inning but were given new life when freshman Riley Staats smashed a two-run home run over the left field fence to send the game to extra innings. Staats pumped her fist as she rounded the bases while her bench showered her with raucous cheers.

Staats then scored on a fielder’s choice in the top of ninth inning, and McLean held on.