Photo Provided Sydney Hupp celebrates after a hit Wednesday against Pendleton County in a WVSSAC Class A state tournament game at South Charleston’s Little Creek Park.

SOUTH CHARLESTON — Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Gomez once said “I’d rather be lucky than good.” Wheeling Central was both on Wednesday, capitalizing on a sixth-inning error by Pendleton County and pouncing for four runs in the frame, coming back for a 4-3 victory over the Wildcats to advance in the WVSSAC Class A state tournament at South Charleston’s Little Creek Park.

Down 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Wheeling Central had two runners on with two out as senior Seneca Heller hit a ground ball to second base. A dropped ball at first, though, kept the inning alive and loaded the bases.

Wheeling Central did not let the fortuitous error go to waste. Sydney Hupp drove in two with a base hit up the middle and Erin Maxwell rocketed a triple to right to score two more and send the Maroon surging ahead, 4-3.

“When you’re at the state tournament and someone makes an error, you have to take advantage of it because Lord knows if you’re going to get another one,” Maroon Knights head coach Buck Davidson said.

“We just gave in to them. We have to keep our composure,” Wildcats head coach Hillary Fox said. “We’re super young, so composure is our main deal.”

With the lead, Wheeling Central pitcher Olivia Kiaski and the Knights defense locked down and held onto the lead in the seventh. Pendleton’s first batter cracked a hit, but one fielder’s choice followed by a pair of strikeouts put the state tournament game to bed.

Kiaski struck out six, allowed four hits, and did not walk one batter Wednesday.

“[Kiaski] pitched a great game,” Davidson said. “When she’s on, and our girls are playing good defense, it makes her one of the best.”

With win, No. 4 Wheeling Central strolls into the Class A winners’ bracket, and will face top-seeded Wahama on Thursday in the second round of the eight-team tournament.

Wheeling Central’s Chloe Groome had a two-hit day as the Knights had six hits as a team. Either team committed a single error.

Pendleton County first struck in the second inning, Lexy Tingler notching an RBI base hit. The Wildcats scored two more in the fourth inning, one run on a sacrifice fly from Jessica Parker and another after Laney Bowers drove in a runner with a double to right.

The Knights, though, were simply biding their time until they got their chance.

“I have a bunch of good seniors, we’ve played a good schedule this year and we’ve come back in a lot of games because of them having a good attitude and not giving up,” Davidson said.

Central is now 20-8 on the season.