Photo by Kim North River players Ava Wohnhas, left, and Carly Winkler, right, stand with OVAC Softball Director Tom “Bear” Bechtel with their Class 2A runnerup plaque. The Pilots fell to Caldwell, 6-2, Saturday afternoon.

ELM GROVE – Makayla Mumaw struck out 15 Saturday afternoon in leading top-seeded Caldwell (15-3) to a 6-2 victory over No. 2 River (16-5) in the OVAC Class 2A softball championship game on Lisa’s Field at the I-470 J.B. Chambers Complex.

Mumaw allowed just three hits – all to the Pilots’ Ava Wohnhas – walked one and scored three runs from her leadoff spot in the Redskins’ order as Caldwell claimed its fifth championship in the last six seasons.

Although his team came up short on the scoreboard, veteran River head coach Dave Wright said it was Caldwell’s veterans against the Pilots’ youth.

“That was a classic example of six seniors against six freshmen and sophomores,” Wright said. “Their experience against our young girls.

“We’ve got a very good pitcher in Ava Wohnhas. She’s good in every category there is, but it takes more than one girl, especially against a good team like Caldwell.”

“We had 15 strikeouts out of our 21 total outs. You’re not going to win many, if any, games like that,” Wright added.

Wohnhas doubled to deep right-center with two outs in the first, but was left stranded. She also looped a two-bagger over third base with one out in the fourth, but would advance no further. In the sixth, she belted a two-run, two-out homer to right-center that accounted for the only two runs the Pilots would score.

Inside the circle, Wohnhas scattered six singles – five of the infield variety – struck out five and didn’t walk a batter.

“Covering against the ‘small-ball’ game has hurt us all season,” Wright said. “We moved some people around tonight in order to try and defend that better, but they are a fast team. They’ve got a lot of speed, so we play in but then they hit it over your head.”

Half of Caldwell’s hits came from Calie Arick, while Mumaw recorded an infield single, reached on one of River’s five errors and was hit by a pitch.

If there is a silver lining for River, its season is far from over.

“We’ve got four games next week and then the sectional tournament,” Wright said. “We’ve got a lot of softball left to play.”

Caldwell never trailed as it scored once in the top of the first, added a second tally two innings later and tacked on four more in the fifth.

Breighlee Moracco drove in a pair of runs with a groundout and fielder’s choice, while Lexi Franklin singled in a run and Sophia Marshall picked up an RBI on a groundout.