Fuqua School’s top-seeded varsity softball team lost 3-2 to No. 4 Kenston Forest School in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division III state championship game Friday at RF&P Park in Glen Allen after advancing to the final on Thursday.

The Lady Falcons trailed 1-0 heading into the fourth inning Friday when senior Regan Ware tied the game with a one-out solo home run.

Kenston Forest allowed a two-out walk with the bases loaded in the sixth that put Fuqua up 2-1.

Fuqua was one out away from victory in the top of the seventh inning when the Lady Kavs produced a two-run double, and the Lady Falcons’ usually potent offense was not able to respond in the bottom half of the inning.

Reflecting on the game, Fuqua Head Coach Mike Ford gave credit to Kenston Forest freshman pitcher Shelby Gunn, who largely held the Lady Falcons’ offense in check for five innings.

“It took us a little while to adjust to the pitching,” Ford said. “We hit the ball hard right at them the last couple innings, and their girl had a big swing … It was a good game. I like that team, I respect that team, and I knew it was going to be a battle. We weren’t sneaking up on anyone this year, and I knew that. We just didn’t have our best game, particularly offensively, and that’s just the way it goes sometimes. That’s the funny thing about this game.”

Fuqua has been averaging more than 10 runs per game this season.

The Lady Falcons featured eight seniors this year who were aiming to defend the state title they won last year in a 17-2 rout against the young Lady Kavaliers. Kenston Forest displayed improved hitting this season that helped it change the outcome despite still having a young roster of only one senior and three juniors to go with three sophomores, three freshmen and two eighth-graders.

“I know a lot of the girls on that team and that stuff, so I’m happy for them,” Ford said, “but I’m hurting for my girls. It’s hard on them. It’s like I told them: The last three years, they’ve won a whole lot of games. They’ve had a real good run. They’ve got nothing to hang their head about. It’s not from lack of effort. The ball just didn’t bounce our way today.”

Fuqua put itself in position to play for its second straight state championship with its win Thursday in the state semifinals also at RF&P Park. The Lady Falcons took a 6-2 lead against No. 3 Southampton Academy, endured a late Lady Raiders rally and held on for a 7-6 win.

“Tough game right there, man,” Ford said. “We couldn’t quite get the traction we needed to pull away, and they made a nice run at the end.”

The Lady Falcons held a 7-3 lead in the seventh inning when Southampton shrunk it down to 7-6 with no outs and the tying run on second base.

Ford said the key to holding the Lady Raiders off was getting the first out. That first out came via a strikeout from Ware. Then Southampton flew out to left field, and out No. 3 occurred due to a clutch play by junior Abbie Schmidt.

The Lady Raiders out-hit Fuqua on the day, 12-7, but the Lady Falcons enjoyed more benefit from their hits early on.

“Regan swung the bat well,” Ford said. “Brittany (Malone) swung the bat well. We swung the bat well early. I thought that we kind of went downhill a little bit.”

He credited the Southampton pitcher with improving as the game progressed.

Malone, a senior, led Fuqua with two hits, a single and a stand-up double. Five other Lady Falcons had one hit apiece, including Ware, whose hit was a three-run homer that took her team from a narrow 3-2 lead to a 6-2 advantage.

Fuqua senior Hannah-Gray Schmidt started in the circle, pitching 1 2/3 innings and registering the win. In 5 1/3 innings pitched, Ware earned the save. She threw four strikeouts.

Ware pitched the entire state final.

The Lady Falcons finished the year with an overall record of 14-6. From the 2017 season to now, they have gone 45-15, appearing in the state final each year.

Ford, thinking of the girls on Fuqua’s 2019 squad, said, “I’ve been with a lot of them for three years. I’m going to miss them. I’m wishing them the best in college. I told them all I don’t do Facebook and social media. They’re going to have to text me and keep up with me, but I’m going to try to keep up with them too. I’m looking forward for them to start the next chapter of their life.”