Wheeling Central’s Sydney Hupp works to the plate during Wednesday’s game against Edison on Ben’s Field at the I-470 J.B. Chambers Complex in Elm Grove. The Wildcats won, 7-6.

ELM GROVE – Edison and Wheeling Central were two softball teams in serious need of a victory Wednesday afternoon.

With the OVAC Tournament cutoff date looming next week, both the Wildcats and Maroon Knights are teetering on the bubble of qualifying for the tourney. Edison helped its tournament-berth aspirations via a rollercoaster 7-6 triumph on Ben’s Field at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex.

The win was the ninth in 14 starts for the Wildcats. Edison hosts Weir today.

“It was a wild game for sure,” Edison head coach McKenzie Morrison said. “But we need more wins to get into the OVAC tourney. This was a big win against a quality Wheeling Central team.”

Edison used the long ball to build an early 4-0 lead. The Wildcats maintained a 4-1 cushion heading into the home-half of the sixth. Central, however, erupted for a five-spot in that frame to take a 6-4 lead into the seventh.

To its credit, Edison exhibited much resolve by pushing across three runs in the final frame to pull out the win.

The loss dropped Central to 10-7 on the season. Coach Buck Davidson’s charges will take on Weirton Madonna this afternoon at 4 p.m. at Oak Glen.

Sophia Henderson hammered the second pitch of the game over the left field fence for a 1-0 Wildcat lead. Teagan Reynolds delivered a two-run homer in the second, giving the visitors a 4-0 advantage.

Central got one run back on a walk and Edison error in the fifth.

The Maroon Knights’ sixth-inning eruption started with a Maddie Miehle walk followed by a ringing double from Chloe Groome. A Wildcat error yielded a run before Seneca Heller produced an RBI single, making it a 4-3 lighting. Starting pitcher Sydney Hupp unloaded a triple, plating two teammates, enabling the hosts to take a 5-4 lead. Morgan Miehle rapped an RBI single to make it a 6-4 Maroon advantage.

Edison responded in game-winning fashion via a two-run triple from Bella Cronin and a run-scoring single from Chloe Peckens.

Maddie Miehle singled to open the Central seventh. After a sacrifice bunt, a groundout-throwout double play ended the contest.

“It is a tough loss but I was proud of how we bounced back in the sixth inning to take the lead,” Davidson said. “But we couldn’t close the deal. We needed to make just one more play and we would have gotten the win.”

Bristol Leanza started in the circle for Edison, before giving way to Alivia Hanlin in the sixth. They combined for two strikeouts and a like amount of walks.

“I thought Bristol pitched well into the sixth and Alivia finished up nicely,” Morrison said. “Our bats really came alive today. It’s nice to start the game with a home run.

“We showed a lot of character in the seventh, having to rally back for three runs,” she added. “Give Central credit. They staged a nice comeback. They always have a strong team.”

Hupp went the distance for Central. She fanned two and walked one.

Cronin paced the winning attack with a triple, two singles and three RBI, while Henderson added a single to her home run.

Morgan Miehle was the lone Maroon Knight with two hits.