SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Wheeling Central let a potential game-ending out slip through the cracks late Thursday as it looked to move into the driver’s seat of the Class A State Tournament during a winner’s bracket matchup with Man at The Rock Field B at Little Creek Park.
The No. 4 Maroon Knights didn’t dwell on it despite the Hillbillies capitalizing on the extra out with a two-run single to tie the game at 3.
With No. 6 Man then no longer able to throw standout freshman pitcher Mia Johnson in extras as a result of Johnson reaching the 14-inning limit for the day, Central capitalized on seeing a new arm to secure a 4-3 victory.
“That’s why they have seven innings. You have to play all seven of them and get all 21 outs. I was happy that they didn’t get down,” Central coach Buck Davidson said. “They didn’t stomp their feet. They still knew the longer we played, the better chance we had.”
The result moves the Maroon Knights (22-8) within one victory of a state championship, while Man (14-9) will need to win its first game Friday to qualify for the championship, and then two more against Central to claim it.
“After today, this is the best place to be and I’m happy we’re there,” Davidson said. “But this is the state tournament and it’s going to take more to get it done.”
Johnson, who has been critical to the Hillbillies’ success, was forced to come out of the circle when the eighth inning began. She was replaced by Madison Wheatley, who surrendered a leadoff single to Chloe Groome.
“That did help, but my girls still went up there in the box to try and get their pitch and drive it,” Davidson said.
After Seneca Heller was hit by a pitch, both she and Groome advanced to second and third base, respectively. Sydney Hupp followed by sending a 2-2 pitch to shortstop that was unable to be fielded clean, but would’ve brought home Groome regardless with the winning run just as it ultimately did.
Man was down to its final out facing a 3-1 deficit in the top of the seventh when Carly Caserta singled. Johnson then sent a ground ball to shortstop that was misplayed, putting the tying run on base.
With Caserta and Johnson at second and third, respectively, Man got even at 3 when Kylie Blevins sent an 0-2 offering from Olivia Kiaski through the middle for a two-run knock.
“We hit the ball better than they did, but we made a few more mistakes,” Man coach Randy Epperly said.
Central produced back-to-back two-out singles in the home half of the seventh, but Johnson got Maddie Miehle to bounce into a fielder’s choice to shortstop for what was her final batter.
With Central having defeated Wahama 8-0 in a five-inning contest earlier Thursday, Kiaski was still available to pitch two innings when the eighth began.
She worked around a two-out single off the bat of Mackenzie Maynard to keep MHS off the scoreboard in the eighth and helping to set the stage for the walk-off win.
Central has allowed six runs in three state tournament games and has outscored 16-3 since facing a 3-0 deficit in the sixth inning of its 4-3 state tournament-opening win over Pendleton County.
“When you play bigger schools with more experienced players, it’s tough on you,” Davidson said. “That’s what got us ready to be here is our schedule.”
Central’s Erin Maxwell scored the game’s first run in the home half of the third off an error, but the Hillbillies battled back and tied it in the fifth when Caserta sent a single up the middle to bring home Alliyah Smith from third.
With the game still tied at 1 through five-and-a-half innings, the Maroon Knights started the sixth with a Bella Rine single, later got a two-out walk from Seneca Heller, and Hupp followed with a double to plate a pair for the first and only multi-run advantage of the matchup.
Despite allowing 10 hits, Kiaski limited the damage across eight innings, which included three strikeouts and no walks issued.
Rine and Hupp both recorded two hits in the win.
Caserta led all players with three hits.
Johnson struck out nine and walked two in seven innings, while allowing five of Central’s six hits.
“If Mia doesn’t run out of innings, we have a chance to pull it out,” Epperly said. “We ran out of pitching.”