Photo by Kim North Martins Ferry shortstop Danielle Lude cuts a throw to second off and relays to third in an attempt to get a Wheeling Central baserunner Saturday in the OVAC Tom Bechtel Class 3A Softball Championship Game on Lisa’s Field at the I-470 J.B. Chambers Ballparks in Elm Grove. Wheeling Central won, 9-1.

ELM GROVE — Wheeling Central won its 16th OVAC championship in softball Saturday with a convincing, 9-1, triumph over top-seeded Martins Ferry in the Class 3A title tilt on sun-splashed Lisa’s Field at the I-470 J.B. Chambers Ballparks.

However, it was the second-seeded Maroon Knights’ (16-4) first crown since 2017 when they made it back-to-back (2016), according to the conference website. Most of the conference-leading 16 titles came in Class AA, with the only other 3A title coming in 2008.

“It’s been a while,” Wheeling Central head coach Buck Davidson said of the championship drought. “The girls really came together and played an excellent game all the way around.”

The combination of outstanding pitching and well-placed base hits was the key for Wheeling Central. Junior Josie Frizzell did the most damage from inside the circle, limiting the Purple Riders (11-4) to just two hits while striking out a dozen and issuing a pair of walks. She needed only 97 pitches (74) in going the distance. She threw a first-pitch strike to 20 of the 26 batters she faced.

“This feels really good. I’m really excited because we’ve wanted this since before I was here and we’re really hyped to, hopefully, carry the momentum over into sectionals and regionals,” Frizzell said.

Davidson is getting used to performances like that from his ace.

“I really can’t explain it,” Davidson admitted. “When it gets around playoff time, these girls pull together and come through. It was nice to watch. Everyone contributed, from Josie to those girls on the bench that didn’t play. Everybody was cheering. It was a great atmosphere.”

Martins Ferry’s Maddie Lucas had control problems from the very first pitch. The freshman walked the first three batters, but came back to strike out the next two. However, a walk to Trina Baker gave Wheeling Central a 1-0 lead.

“We started off the game with some walks and that’s going to happen against a team like Wheeling Central who makes you work,” Martins Ferry head coach Jerry Magistro. “You can’t give a team like that many runs because of their pitcher. She doesn’t give up many runs.”

The Maroon Knights scored three times in the top of the third. Maddie Miehle drew a leadoff walk and Erin Maxwell singled to right with one out as Miehle went to third. The throw from the outfield went awry, allowing Miehle to race home as Maxwell advanced to second. Frizzell then dropped a single into shallow left-center as Maxwell went to third. The throw trying to get her got away, letting Frizzell move up 60 feet. With two outs, Jensen Rine lined a double to the gap in left-center as Maxwell and courtesy runner Olivia Stephens to score for a 4-0 advantage.

Wheeling Central sent 10 batters to the plate in a four-run fourth that bumped the margin to 8-0. A leadoff walk to Bella Rine and a one-out seeing-eye single by Brook Edge put the designated visitors in business. Maxwell laid down a sacrifice bunt down that was thrown wildly to first as Rine scored, Edge went to third and Maxwell to second. Frizzell walked to load the bases. Baker blooped an RBI single down the line in shallow left and Jensen Rine did the same to right before Ava Hanson’s run-scoring groundout capped the outburst.

An RBI single by Maxwell, her third hit of the game, made it 9-0 in the top of the seventh.

Martins Ferry scored its lone run with one out in its last at-bat. Kyndahl Richardson’s bunt was thrown wide of first and rolled all the way to the right field corner as the Purple Riders senior circled the bases.

Frizzell retired the next two hitters for the championship.

“I thought we prepared well for what she did, but she kept us off guard” Magistro said of Frizzell. “It was just one of those days. I never thought I’d see us play like that because we’ve worked so hard, but they were the better team today. The pitcher made the difference.”

Brook Edge (single, double); Frizzell (2 singles); and J. Rine (single, double) all enjoyed multiple-hit games as the Maroon Knights collected 10 hits.

SJ Koller beat out a bunt single in the second and Lucas doubled to left leading off the sixth for the only hits Frizzell surrendered.

Martins Ferry returns to action Tuesday against Cambridge. They play in the Buckeye 8 crossover against Indian Creek on Wednesday. Wheeling Central, meanwhile, heads straight into W.Va. Class A Region I, Sectional I tournament action on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. versus the winner of Monday’s Paden City-Magnolia game.