East Hardy, the No. 3 seed, defeated No. 2 Gilmer County 11-1 in a six-inning Class A semifinal at GoMart Ballpark, advancing to the state championship game against top seed Madonna. East Hardy's early season struggles, which forced coach Tyler Mongold to experiment with lineups, paid off as they played their best baseball at the right time.
The Cougars jumped out to a strong start, scoring four runs in the first inning, fueled by Evan Hamilton's triple and opportunistic baserunning. Pitcher Jordan Teets delivered a strong performance for East Hardy, allowing only one run over 5 1/3 innings. Gilmer County struggled to generate offense and capitalize on opportunities, hindered by baserunning errors and double plays. East Hardy extended their lead in the later innings, with Teets adding a bases-clearing double and other runs coming from Gilmer errors and wild pitches. Hamilton closed out the game in relief, securing the 10-run mercy rule victory for East Hardy.