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[Jeff Cunningham]

Kellam dethrones Hanover, takes state softball title
By Jeff Cunningham | jcunningham@hrvarsity.com

NEWPORT NEWS -- It was the exact same recipe Kellam used a week ago in the Eastern Region final against Salem.

On Saturday, the Knights again got a timely hit from catcher Tamra Griffin and a strong pitching performance from Stephanie Kemp en route to a 1-0 win over Hanover in the Group AAA state softball championship game at Stoney Run.

"It was a total team effort today," Kellam coach T.J. Jones said. "A strong outing from Stephanie, and Tamra getting us that big RBI ... I told her to go out there and get us that RBI, and I knew she would."

The decisive blow came in the top of the third, after Marian Guidry singled to left and advanced to second when Allison Worley missed the ball. After Kelli Porter grounded out to third, Griffin roped a line drive to center, driving in Guidry.

"I'm just so happy," a tearful Griffin said. "I wanted so bad to come through in that situation, and I got a changeup. We talked before the game about hitting (Hanover starter Lisa Puryear's) changeup, and when I saw it, I just swung."

The RBI single chased Puryear out of the game.

From there, the game was in Kemp's right hand. She struck out five in her seven innings of work, but she did give up five hits. She also had to work her way out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth, facing runners at second and third with no one out.

Julie Smith led off the inning for Central Region champion Hanover (26-2) with a single and advanced to third when Jessie Atkinson struck out but reached second base when Griffin missed the ball and threw wide of the bag at first.

But Kemp, no stranger to tight spots, struck out Worley before inducing a bunt pop-out from Kelly Stajduhar and a nail-biting groundout up the middle from Puryear.

"I don't think I've ever felt my heart beat so fast in my life," Kemp said. "It wasn't the worst feeling I've ever had out there, but to work through that jam was pretty nerve-wracking."

"Oh, it was stressful," Jones said of the jam. "But I think I was more confident in my team than ever, because we've been through that situation so many times before."

The win gives Kellam (26-4) its first state title and its eighth postseason shutout. The Knights were the underdog coming up against the defending state champion Hawks, but Kemp's pitching and Griffin's hitting proved to be just what the team ordered.

"We're undefeated since districts started," Griffin said. "That has got to be the best feeling in the world."



GROUP AAA STATE SOFTBALL CHAMPIIONSHIP at Stoney Run Complex
Kellam 1, Hanover 0
Kellam 001 000 0 1 3 2
Hanover 000 000 0 0 5 3
WP -- Kemp (25-4). LP -- Puryear (6-1). Standouts -- Kellam, Griffin 1-3 (RBI single), Guidry 1-1 (single, run, walk). Hanover, J. Smith 2-3 (2 singles), Atkinson 2-3 (2 singles). Records -- Kellam 26-4, Hanover 26-2.