Prep baseball state tournament: Shady Spring's walk-off warriors set tone of record-setting season

Shady Spring's late-season surge defined its historic run to the state tournament. The Tigers delivered four come-from-behind wins in the final at-bat, solidifying a 27-6 finish and earning the Class AAA Region 3 top seed. A 5-2 tuneup victory over James Monroe at Access Health Field inside Linda K. Epling Stadium preceded the state tournament, and No. 3 seed Shady Spring will meet No. 6 Robert C. Byrd (23-11) in the quarterfinals at Marshall's Jack Cook Field in Huntington, around 7:45 p.m. It marks the tournament's first eight-team format and its first visit to Huntington. Catcher/pitcher Eli Naylor opened the walk-off streak with a 9-8 solo homer against Herbert Hoover on April 13, a moment he called electric. Over the next 16 days, April 22 to May 8, the walk-off magic continued as Shady went 8-1, notching three walk-offs and clinching the Region 3 top seed. Jacob Claypool delivered one of the late winners when his lined drive scored Cutter Boggs in a 6-5 win over Princeton, an outcome he said he enjoys in tight, back-and-forth games. Colyn Smith also contributed, going 8-for-10 in the postseason, including a key hit against PikeView that produced a 2-1 lead. Smith said his goal was to elevate the team, helping Shady build momentum and set the tone for its state-tournament run.