The Maroon Knights (13-4) broke a scoreless game wide-open with five runs – all unearned – in the bottom of fifth as the Big Reds made half of their six miscues in the field.

“Hopefully, that’s what you expect your team to do. Take advantage of what your opponents give you,” Wheeling Central head coach Buck Davidson said. “Their pitcher pitched a really good game. We had a few solid hits up the middle, but we made use of what they gave us.”

Winning pitcher Josie Frizzell and Ashlee Baker had singles in the inning. Jocelyn Shaw collected the lone RBI on a bases-loaded walk.

Bellaire had a golden scoring opportunity slip away in its first at-bat when it loaded the bases with one out, but failed to score as Frizzell buckled down. She got a strike three looking for the second out before inducing a ground ball fielder’s choice.

“Honestly, I’ve never seen her worked up this season,” Davidson said of his hard-throwing freshman. “I don’t know how many batters she walked today, but she rarely walks anyone. For being a freshman, her maturity level – in my opinion – is like a senior.

“I’m glad I have her for three more years,” he said with a smile.

Bellaire head coach David Menendez thought the first inning could have changed the complexion of the contest.

“You’ve got to put pressure on the pitcher and we didn’t do that (Monday),” he offered. “Errors also hurt us once again.

“Majestique pitched really well. We let her down,” Menendez said of Jackson’s effort inside the circle where she struck out four, walked a like number and spaced out five singles, but only one through the first four frames.

The Big Reds also had a chance in the fifth when Gianna Schmidt, the No. 8 hitter in the lineup, singled up the middle leading off. Sidney Rowson’s grounder was played into a fielder’s choice, leaving runners on first and second with no outs and the top of the order coming up.

However, instead of moving the runners up in a game that was still scoreless, Menendez rolled the dice and let them swing away. The result: two infield pop outs and an inning-ending strikeout.

“I thought about It (bunting), but with the top of my order coming up, I knew what we were capable of, we just didn’t execute,” Menendez said when asked about the decision. “Hindsight is 20/20. I probably should have bunted there and moved the runners up to put pressure on her, but … .”

The Maroon Knights, the top seed in the sectional, host the winner of the Paden City-Cameron contest on Wednesday back at Ben’s Field.

Bellaire (6-12), meanwhile, treks to Lisbon to meet Beaver Local Wednesday in the Buckeye 8 placements.