Marlena Frye hit a solo home run off Buffalo pitcher Tara Mays in the bottom of the sixth inning to provide the only run of the game.
On the mound, Frye fired a three-hit shutout to send the Lady Billies back to Vienna next week.
Frye said she thought she hit it well when she hit the homer.
“I felt that when I hit it I knew it was gone,” she said. “It was a fastball over the plate.”
No. 1-ranked Man improved to 20-0 on the season and won its 38th straight game dating back to last year.
“We played great,” Lady Billies’ coach Randy Epperly said. “Anytime you win you played great. We have won 38 straight. I just want to win three more games.”
Man will now play Fayetteville at the state tourney next Thursday around 12:30 p.m. at Vienna’s Jackson Memorial Park. Fayetteville defeated Richwood, 12-1, on Thursday in the Region 3 championship game to advance. Cameron and South Harrison are slated to open the Class A state tourney in a 10:30 a.m. game.
The Man-Fayetteville game would follow 30 minutes after the completion of Game 1.
Buffalo coach Darrell Moore predicted the Lady Billies will repeat as state champs.
“This was the state championship game. We were the top two teams in Class A,” Moore said. “Like I said last year when Man beat us, they would win the state championship. They will win it again.”
The Bison closed out the season with a 25-9 record.
Buffalo made it interesting by putting runners at second and third in the top of the first inning.
But Man turned a double play as third baseman Jacyln Dickerson threw a runner out at first base and Loren Whited gunned down Hannah Lloyd at the plate.
Frye then get Jessica Blake to ground out to end the inning.
Man then threatened in the bottom of the second inning as Paige Stacy tried to score from second base on a single to right field by Whited. She was tagged out at the plate by Brittany Williams, however, to keep the game scoreless.
Frye later ripped her solo shot over the left centerfield fence to put the Lady Billies on top, 1-0.
Buffalo didn’t quit.
Leadoff hitter Williams started off with a single and Blake then hit into a fielder’s choice for the first out. Williams later stole third but Frye struck out Hanna Jordan and got Mays to ground out to second to end the game.
Malorie Keffer added a double for Man.
Whited, Dickerson, Tabby Johnston and Stacy all singled.
Lloyd, Brittany Herdman and Williamson all singled for Buffalo.
Mays struck out four in six innings of work and didn’t walk anybody.
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