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Ripley's Bryson Casto (13) rounds third base while taking on Spring Valley during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament on Tuesday at Jack Cook Field in Huntington. (Photo by Ryan Fischer/Herald-Dispatch)

HUNTINGTON — Defending Class AAA champion Ripley did it the hard way here Tuesday afternoon in the state quarterfinals at Marshall University’s Jack Cook Field as the fourth-seeded Vikings rallied past No. 5 Spring Valley, 12-10, after the Timberwolves scored eight runs in the top of the first.

Ripley, which improved to 24-12 and didn’t take its first lead until a four-run bottom of the sixth, advanced to the state semifinals where the Jackson County program will clash with top-seeded Bridgeport at 10 a.m. on Friday.

“That was a lot of fun. What a ballgame. It was a great ballgame,” admitted elated RHS skipper Shane Casto, who watched starter Parker Keller not make it out of the first inning only to eventually squeeze the final out of the affair via a popup at third base off the bat of leadoff man Cam Perdue as the Wolves left the bases loaded in the seventh.

“Hats off to their guys for not quitting and for our guys to keep swinging. I don’t know in all the years I’ve been in a dugout, I don’t know if I’ve seen a first inning like that before. It worked out for us in the end.”

Spring Valley, which finished its season at 24-12 and had lost 13-0 more than two months ago in the lone regular season meeting, staked itself to the big lead via Parker Phillips’ three-run bomb, an Abe Null safety squeeze, a Perdue bases-loaded RBI free pass along with a Caiden Lovejoy two-run single that cleared the bases for the 8-0 advantage following an outfield error.

Nevan Cale finally closed out the first inning for the Vikings when he got eventual losing pitcher Brody Spencer to ground out.

West Virginia University commit Bryson Casto, who was on base all four times and scored a quartet of runs along with throwing five frames of three-hit ball where he allowed just one run to earn the win and keep the Vikings in it, opened the last of the first by drawing a free pass.

Catcher Peyton Keller, who was then lifted for courtesy runner Eli Casto, followed with an RBI three-bagger and it was 8-2 after Parker Keller’s run-scoring double. Landon Meadows, who allowed three hits and a run in the seventh but picked up the save, made it 8-3 after his single. Following a walk to Kyler Doss, Cash Clendenin delivered a run-scoring knock to plate Meadows and it was 8-5 following a sacrifice fly from John Cummings.

After the two programs combined for a baker’s dozen runs in the first, the game was halted for an hour due to Mother Nature.

Following the break, Bryson Casto had a 1-2-3 top of the second while SVHS starter Jake Vanarsdale was replaced by Jonah Harrold, who allowed three runs in his three innings of work.

Ripley managed to get one run back in the second when Bryson Casto scored on Parker Keller’s RBI groundout.

The score remained the same until the bottom of the fourth when the Vikings squared it by pushing across a pair of runs.

Once again it was Bryson Casto who got things going with a one-out walk and runners were on second and third after Peyton Keller’s double. Although Brady McVay eventually coaxed a two-out base on balls, Bryson Casto made it 8-7 when he scored on a wild pitch. Meadows then stepped to the plate and courtesy runner Eli Casto tied it when he crossed on another wild pitch.

Spring Valley regained the lead in the top of the sixth when Lovejoy singled home No. 8 hitter Gabe Chambers, who reached after being hit by a pitch.

Although Spencer was able to keep the Vikings off the board in the fifth, that didn’t turn out to be the case in the sixth.

Bryson Casto opened the frame with an opposite-field single to left, stole second and made it 9-all thanks to Payton Keller’s RBI knock. After Parker Keller was plunked, McVay moved the runners up a base with a sacrifice. Eli Casto scored to make it 10-9 while Meadows was batting when Spencer was called for a balk. Doss then came through with a run-scoring double and it was 12-9 following Clendenin’s RBI single.

Spring Valley loaded the bases against Meadows after Vanarsdale and Harrold singled and Chambers got hit again, but No. 9 hitter Jack Shumaker’s two-out infield single proved to be the lone damage. Meadows locked down the save when Perdue popped up an 0-1 offering.

Class AAA State Quarterfinal at Marshall University’s Jack Cook Field

Ripley 12, Spring Valley 10

#5 SVHS 800 001 1 – 10 11 2

#4 RHS 510 204 x – 12 12 1

WP: Bryson Casto 5IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 1SO

SAVE: Landon Meadows 1IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 0SO

Parker Keller (starter).2IP, 5H, 8R, 7ER, 4BB, 1SO

Nevan Cale .1IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0SO

LP: Brody Spencer 2IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 3SO

Jake Vanarsdale (starter) 1IP, 4H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB, 2SO

Jonah Harrold 3IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 3SO

Spring Valley (24-12) hitting: Cam Perdue 1-4, RBI; Caiden Lovejoy 3-4, 3 RBIs; Cody Pitts 2 R; Spencer R; Parker Phillips 1-4 R, HR, 3 RBIs; Vanarsdale 3-4 R; Harrold 2-4 R; Mac Spoor R; Abe Null RBI; Gabe Chambers 2 R; Jack Shumaker 1-2 R, RBI

Ripley (24-12) hitting: Bryson Casto 2-2, 4 R, SB, 2B; Peyton Keller 3-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBIs; Eli Casto 3 R; Parker Keller 1-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBIs; Brady McVay 1-2; Meadows 1-3 R, RBI; Kyler Doss 2-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI; Cash Clendenin 2-4, 2 RBIs; John Cummings RBI

Next game: #4 Ripley vs. #1 Bridgeport, 10 a.m. Friday in state semifinals.