WHEELING — The dream of an all-Mon County OVAC Class 5A championship was alive and well at the I-470 Complex in Wheeling.
It lasted about 2.5 innings.
University raced out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the third, but defending W.V. Class AAA champion John Marshall was not about to go away without a fight,
JM scored five runs in an all-important third-inning, tacked on another in the fourth and made it last in defeating University 6-4 Wednesday evening at the I-470 Complex in Wheeling.
“That one little inning, I think they scored five in that inning if you take that away, it’s a different game,” University head coach Mindy Parks said after the loss. “We made a throwing error and the execution wasn’t there, but we’ll build on it.”
The loss gives John Marshall a 2-1 record in head-to-head battles with the Hawks this season. JM blanked University 8-0 on April 9 before the Hawks took Game 2, 7-4, back on April 16.
“We’ve split with them and we’ll build on it,” Parks said. “We’ll get them. We’ll get them when it matters. I’m happy overall.”
Parks had to love the start.
Lexi Elza started the game with a base hit after ripping a grounder up the middle and into center. She scored on an error after Maddie Campbell hit a bloop single to right. The error allowed Elza to score and Campbell to reach third safely.
After a walk and a grounder, Campbell scored when Ally Jansen lined an RBI single into left.
Kelsey Park then sacrificed the final run of the inning home when she grounded out to second, allowing the third run to score.
Two innings later, Jansen ripped a double to left that scored the fourth run.
The defending champs are not used to being down by four runs, and certainly not that early in an outing.
It didn’t last long.
A double from Ava Blake started a five-run scoring barrage in the home half of the fifth. A catcher’s interference call nullified what would have been the second out of the inning and, potentially, could have limited the bleeding to one run.
But as it were, in the next at-bat an error allowed two runs to score and a double from Carlee Yoho pushed two more across.
When the dirt settled, JM went from being down 4-0 to leading 5-4.
The Monarchs tacked on an insurance run in the fourth when Blake produced her own run-scoring double.
The Hawks put two aboard in the seventh inning, but couldn’t quite get that last timely hit they needed.
“Our bats were hot but then we got flat and could get the hits we needed (late),” Parks said. “But as long as we work hard and build from this, we’ll be fine.”
Elza finished with two singles and Jansen drove in a pair with a single and double for University.
By MIKE HUGHES/For The Dominion Post
BOX SCORE
OVAC Class 5A Semifinal
John Marshall 6, University 4
University 301 000 0 – 4 7 2
John Marshall 005 100 x – 6 6 2
U –Lehosit lp (0SO, 3W), Campbell (4) (3SO, 0W) and Masoner. Elza 2S; Campbell S, D; Jansen S, D, 2rbi; Park rbi.
J – Cumberledge wp (4SO, 1W) and Inclan. Blake 2D, 2rbi; White rbi; Yoho D, 2rbi.
