SOUTH CHARLESTON — Winfield’s road to a fourth consecutive state championship was anything but easy.

But the Generals like to make things interesting.

Winfield (26-10) trailed John Marshall by three runs Thursday afternoon through the first four innings, before erupting in the fifth and sixth inning to defeat John Marshall 7-3 in eight innings to capture the WVSSAC Class AAA state championship at Little Creek Park.

Behind another dominant performance from the tournament’s most valuable player Madeline Carroll and a late offensive eruption, Winfield couldn’t be denied its destiny.

“It feels great to be back here again and do it all over again,” Carroll said. “I’m on a high right now. I can’t even process what just happened because we came back in extra innings again, and we’re just playing the ball that we know how to play.”

The championship hung in the balance early.

John Marshall struck first in the third inning when Kaylee White delivered an RBI double before Masyn Inclan followed with a two-run double to left-center field, giving the Monarchs a 3-0 advantage.

But Carroll settled in.

After allowing the three-run inning, the senior shut down one of the state’s most explosive offenses like she has done all tournament. The senior finished with eight strikeouts while allowing three runs on nine hits across eight innings.

Winfield finally broke through in the fifth when Ella Black singled home Carroll to cut the deficit to 3-1.

An inning later, Rylee McClellan delivered one of the biggest swings of the game.

With two runners aboard, McClellan lined a two-run single to left-center field, scoring Ava Cole and Sophie Sizemore to tie the game at 3-3.

When asked what allows Riley McClellan to thrive in those key situations, coach Steve Hensley said, “She’s just a leader.”

The game remained tied until the eighth.

Then the Generals delivered one final championship punch.

Ava Cole’s RBI single gave Winfield its first lead before Brooklyn Cole followed with a two-run single through the left side. Madeline Taylor then doubled to deep center field, driving home two more runs and stretching the lead to 7-3.

Carroll retired the Monarchs in the bottom half to finish off the four-peat.

“We just had to stay calm,” Carroll said. “I think we can handle adversity really well. We always have. We saw it yesterday in the 10 innings with Herbert Hoover, and it helped us. We were prepared for whatever was going to happen to us.”

For Hensley, the championship represented more than another trophy. It was validation for a senior class that never stopped believing, even when the path grew difficult.

“There was a lot of times this year and even last year when we were down in very difficult regions,” Hensley said. “It would have been very easy for us to pack it in and say, ‘Let’s do it next year.’ But they didn’t. They didn’t quit. They never have.”

Carroll’s performance throughout the tournament embodied that resilience.

“I think the biggest thing about Maddie is she puts so much work into what she does,” Hensley said. “Her competitive spirit is just so strong that she does not want to lose.”

When the final out settled into a glove, Winfield’s dynasty was complete.