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McKay pitches Bears to title game

WHEELING — Maddie McKay struck out 17 as Oak Glen advanced to the OVAC Tom Bechtel Class 4A softball championship game with a 4-1, come-from-behind semifinal triumph over Martins Ferry Tuesday under the lights on Lisa’s Field at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Youth Sports Complex.

McKay, just a freshman, allowed just two infield singles — both to Alea Funkhouser — in hurling the top-seeded Golden Bears back to the finals for the second time in three seasons. She faced only three batters over the minimum as she walked one and Oak Glen was charged with a trio of errors. One Purple Rider runner was picked off.

“This was a very tough game. We had to come up with some clutch hits and we had to make some plays when they challenged us,” Oak Glen head coach Sherrie Garner said. “Martins Ferry made us make every effort we had to to win. My girls didn’t quit and that’s all I can ask of them.”

Oak Glen (16-6) will meet St. Clairsville, a 7-4 victory over Harrison Central, earlier in the day in the other semifinal. That game will be played Friday at 6:45 p.m. on Ben’s Field. The same schools met for the 2016 title, with the Red Devils prevailing.

“This group has matured as the season has progressed,” she added. “We’ve got four seniors that have seen it all the way through (their careers) and their maturity is what we’re proud of.”

McKay fanned eight of the first nine Purple Riders she faced, including the side in the second and third. She also whiffed three batters in fourth and sixth innings while throwing an even 100 pitches, of which 72 were strikes.

“She gives a great spark to the other girls. She adds a lot of confidence to them and she’s a hard worker,” Garner said of her prized frosh. “She’s our workhorse and you can’t ask for anything more than she gives us.”

Fourth-seeded Martins Ferry (10-11), which limped into the field by losing five of its last six contests, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. The left-handed hitting Funkhouser led off with a slap single to the hole at short. Abby Bumbico bunted and was ruled safe at first when the ball was bobbled. With two outs, Martins Ferry head coach Paige Williams decided to try and make something happen. A double steal resulted in the Purple Riders lone run as Funkhouser swiped third as the throw sailed into left field. Funkhouser got up and sprinted home ahead of the throw in a bang-bang play at the plate.

Oak Glen evened things an inning later when McKay singled up the middle with two outs. Alexa Andrews sent a shot to deep right-center that resulted in a triple as McKay easily scored. A strikeout prevented further damage.

The Golden Bears sealed the deal in the bottom of the sixth with a little help from their opponents.

Jayana Montgomery legged out an infield single leading off and was replaced by pinchrunner Grace Smith. Aidin Hall reached on a fielder’s choice and Britney Giorgini looped a single to shallow left-center to load the bases. McKayla Goodlin’s comebacker was fielded and thrown to the plate for the force, but the ball was dropped as a run scored. Hannah Patterson followed with a flyball deep enough to left that plated Hall, and Goodlin would cross the plate on Hannah Walker’s two-out single.

“I’m proud of my team,” Williams said. “We had a terrible game against Indian Creek yesterday (Monday) and I was proud to see them come back and have the fight that I’ve seen in them. Obviously, I was a little nervous before the game, but once I saw the desire the girls had to try and make it to the championship game I was certainly happy with.”

Walker finished with three hits and an RBI while McKay, Andrews and Montgomery all had two.

Bumbico struck out five and walked two in six-plus innings of work.

Oak Glen has OVAC softball titles in 1998 and 2002.

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