Sherwood and Dulaney combined to score 437 runs leading up to the Class 3A state semifinal, so runs figured to be aplenty Tuesday afternoon at the Bachman Sports Complex. However, pitchers Reagan Corb and Madison Schupple had other ideas.

Both twirled magnificent games, but it was Corb’s Warriors prevailing, 2-0.

The victory advanced the undefeated Warriors (19-0) to the state championship game this weekend where they will be seeking the school’s second straight title and ninth overall.

Corb blanked the Lions (20-4) on four hits and one walk, while striking out seven. Schupple struck out 10, walked one and allowed four hits and one earned run.

Both pitchers had two innings each when they were under duress. Corb got through unscathed; Schupple did not.

Corb’s hot water came in the top of the first inning when Chloe Renaldo drew a leadoff walk and Lila Gordon (2-for-4) moved her to third on a sharp double to right center.

“That was definitely nerves, I was shaking up there, but I mean it only took a couple batters,” Corb said. “Once I got the nerves to calm down, I realized I had my whole team behind me and I was like ‘I’m good.’ Like even if I put it there and they hit it, like I know everyone behind me has got me.”

With nobody out, the junior fanned third and fourth hitter Kimani Dennis and Carley Desi, but she needed help with fifth batter Avery Remeto, who lined a sinking liner toward the right field line that was flagged by diving outfielder Emerson Long.

“It was fantastic,” Corb said. “Emerson is a great right fielder and I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

“That really got us going because I feel like if anyone would have scored, I feel like that would have brought us down. So (Corb) doing her thing in that inning really was great for us,” shortstop Keira Schlutz said.

In the fourth inning, a one-out bunt single by Schupple and bunt by Brynne Townsend, coupled with a two-base throwing error put runners on second and third. A walk to Ester Weinstein loaded the bases, but Corb wriggled free with a strikeout and ground out.

“I went to a screwball, that’s probably my favorite pitch when I get into those (bases loaded) situations. But at that point I slowed down my mechanics and I just needed to get it across the plate. And if she hits it, everyone else behind me knows what to do and they’ll have it, so I was just like I’ve just got to put it in the zone,” Corb said.

“You can’t leave bases loaded with one out and you can’t leave second and third with no outs,” Dulaney coach Dave Barwick said. “Against this team you can’t do that.”

‘That’s the toughest part, I feel like (Corb) shows up when she really needs to and sometimes takes a break, but she was able to show up and continue to move the ball around,” Sherwood coach Ashley Barber-Strunk said. “I think the Dulaney pitcher had phenomenal movement. She was able to change speeds, she was able to move the ball around that’s amazing to have as a coach, but to have someone that can still stay strong, you’ve got bases loaded and still do what you need to do instead of feeling scared or reserved, so Reagan does a good job of that. She stands up and she doesn’t back down.”

Schupple allowed her first run in the top the second after a leadoff infield single by Rylie Friend. Friend took second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a bunt single by Faith Goolsby. With Corb at the plate, Goolsby broke for second on a steal attempt, but no one covered and Friend scored on the throw into center field.

“We threw the ball through at second base. It was miscommunication,” Barwick said.

Schupple ended the threat by striking out the final three batters.

The Warriors’ only other run came on a leadoff home run by Schlutz in the bottom of the fourth. It was her team-leading fourth home run and 48th RBI.

“My at-bat before I was close and I just wanted to make a change for my team and get us up a little more so we could get the momentum going,” Schlutz said. “I don’t think it was a rise, I couldn’t tell you what it was. It definitely wasn’t a change up, it could have been a rise that didn’t rise as much.”

The next batter, Friend, hit a line drive off Schupple’s face mask and she went to the ground immediately. After medical attention she remained in the game.

“It just hit the side of her face mask and threw it off the face, no cuts, no bruises,” Barwick said. “I said, ‘I’m going to take you out and she said, ‘No, I’m fine, and I said ‘Look at me’ and her eyes were clear and she was clear-minded.”

She went on to retire nine of the next 10 batters, six on strikeouts. The only batter to reach got a bunt single.

“Madison pitched great, to keep a team like that to two runs you are doing something,” Barwick said. “I told the team before we got here, if we got three or four runs we are going to win today, but we didn’t get it. I felt like we had our chances, but they are an amazing team and they are here all the time. They are well-coached and they fundamentally do everything right on the field as we do too.”

The Lions graduate senior reserves Claire Overcash and Maddie Moretti, but everyone else on the roster is expected to return.

“Our entire team comes back next year,” Barwick said. “I told them to keep their uniforms.”

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