Photo by Nick Henthorn Harrison Central’s Kara Blackburn connects with a pitch on Friday evening during the Huskies’ OVAC 4A championship game against the Oak Glen Golden Bears at the I-470 JB Chambers Sports Complex.

WHEELING — No. 4 Harrison Central started hot in their OVAC 4A championship game against No. 3 Oak Glen on Friday at the I-470 JB Chambers Sports Complex, but the Golden Bears caught fire late to put away the Huskies, 6-3, to return to the mountaintop of the conference.

The Golden Bears had won OVAC titles in 2021, ’22 and ’23, and delivered once again on Friday.

Harrison Central got out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Mikayla Pelegreen smashing a double to deep center field, driving in runners from second and third to jump ahead. Oak Glen would strand two runners on in the inning, Golden Bears starter Danica Holden earning a punch out to end the inning.

Oak Glen would strike back in the bottom of the third.

It began with the second batter of the inning, Riley Bruce, smoking a ball to deep left-center. Bruce would’ve had a triple, but trouble getting the ball in allowed her to speed around the bag and head for home, scoring on the play to get the Golden Bears on the board.

Another hard-hit ball went for three bags later in the inning, Mattie Carney’s hit to deep left field driving in a runner to tie the game. Carney scored on the next at-bat, coming home thanks to a two-out error on a ground ball.

Oak Glen carried a 3-2 lead into the sixth, when knocks from Bruce and Addie Smith each drove in runs to stretch the Golden Bear lead out to 6-3.

Carney held the Harrison Central offense in check throughout the middle portions of Friday’s championship, entering in the second inning and going the rest of the way, striking out eight and earning the win.

The Huskies scraped one run across in the top of the seventh off the bat of Kara Blackburn, but there’d be no miracle comebacks in the works, and Oak Glen went off into the late evening as 4A champs.

For Harrison Central, Kelsey Powers finished her day 4-4 with four singles from the leadoff spot, scoring two runs. Pelegreen led the team with two RBI.

For Oak Glen, Carney knocked a triple after homering in the Golden Bears’ semifinal win over Beaver Local, Bruce ended with two triples, three RBI and two runs scored from the leadoff spot, and Maddie Murray recorded two base knocks.