3A East Regional Championship

Poquoson at Loudoun Valley, site and time TBD

Poquoson is the Conference 25 champion and enters the title game after wins over Thomas Jefferson and Kettle Run. The Islanders had a tight game against Kettle Run, going into extra innings before scoring three runs to seal the 4-1 victory. Poquoson is led by shortstop Chase Pinder (Clemson) and has been a state title contender all season.

Loudoun Valley was the Dulles District champion, playing against 4A competition all season. The Vikings also won the Conference 28 tournament and have defeated Culpeper and New Kent to advance to the finals. There the Vikings met a strong New Kent team that made them sweat a little by jumping out to an early lead. The Vikings eventually rallied and then put the game away in the later innings to advance to the Regional Championship and clinch a trip to Liberty University next week. Loudoun Valley has allowed more than 3 runs just 7 times on the season as they carry a 23-3 record into the game.

3A West Regional Championship 

William Byrd vs. Tunstall, at Franklin County High School, 6:00

William Byrd has been on a heck of a run in the playoffs, surging from below .500 to win the Conference 31 tournament as a four seed with upsets over Staunton River and Northside. They may have pulled their most exciting upset so far in their semifinal win over perennial power Turner Ashby. The Terriers entered the bottom of the seventh inning trailing 6-2 and rallied for 5 runs to walk off with the win. Senior Dustin Boothe had the game tying double in the rally and eventually scored the winning run.

Tunstall is the Conference 30 champion and has beaten Northside and Blacksburg to earn their spot in the Regional Championship game and earn a return trip to the State Tournament, where the Trojans were last year’s AA State runner-up. The Trojans are 24-3 and survived a sloppy game with Blacksburg, as both teams had to travel both Wednesday and Thursday to the neutral site due to the previous night’s rain out. Alex Wade threw five strong innings in the semifinal win.