SOUTH CHARLESTON – Senior Maddie Campbell was simply untouchable on Tuesday for the University High School softball team on the opening day of the 2026 WVSSAC state softball tournament at Little Creek Park in South Charleston.
The multi-time first-team all-state selection saw 21 batters and sent all 21 of them back to the dugout as the No. 2 Hawks began their chase for another state championship with a 2-0 shutout over No. 7 Washington.
“I just want to go out and do what I can for my team,” Campbell said. “ It wasn’t our best offensive performance, but we always do what we need to do to win, and we will bounce back like we always do. We’ve all been playing together forever, and going out on top will mean a lot for us. Hopefully I can do it again for my team.”
UHS only earned three hits itself, but a two-out triple in the bottom of the third inning by junior Whitney Cox, followed by a single by Campbell, opened the scoring.
The Hawks added a second run in the bottom of the fifth on an error in the infield by Washington when Cox put a groundball in play.
Campbell struck out 17 batters on 92 pitches against the Patriots to advance to the winners bracket round on Wednesday. UHS will battle No. 3 George Washington in the second game of the morning session.
BOX SCORE
University 2, Washington 0
WASH 000 000 0 – 0 0 0
UNIV 001 010 X – 2 3 0
University – Campbell 3011 Brown 2000 Lehosit 3000 Masoner 3000 Shaver 3000 Elza 2000 Casino 2110 Voithofer 2000 Cox 2111 TOTALS 22 2 3 2
3B: Cox
Washington – Musser 3000 Valentine 3000 O’Hara 3000 Burns 2000 Smith 2000 Benner 2000 Clayton 2000 Ranck 2000 Hardy 2000
