A trio of West Virginia pitchers combined to strike out 18 Ohio batters and the Mountaineers scored five times in the fourth and fifth innings in defeating the Buckeyes, 5-2, in the annual OVAC Tom Bechtel All-Star Softball Game on Ben’s Field at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Sports Complex.

Oak Glen’s Maddie McKay fanned seven, including the side in the top of the ninth. University’s Autumn Stemple recorded six punchouts and Weir’s Madison Angus chalked up five as the trio yielded just four base hits and walked only three.

“It was a nice showcase for the girls,” Oak Glen’s Sherry Garner said. “This is a great opportunity for the girls. I think they had fun.”

New Philadelphia’s Julia Miller, who is headed to Ohio State University to pitch, kept West Virginia off the board in her three-inning stint. The Quakers standout struck out nine and walked two.

However, the Mountain State broke through in the fourth against Harrison Central’s Tristen Kovarik with a pair of tallies.

John Marshall’s Adriana Skrzyneki reached on an infield single leading off and promptly stole second. Stemple drew a walk before Linsly’s Haley Heitz bunted both runners up 60 foot. Parkersburg South’s Kassidy Trimble grounded out as Skrzyneki scored the first run.

John Marshall’s Sophie Adkins tripled down the line in right to drive in Stemple for a 2-0 lead.

West Virginia added to its margin an inning later with a three-spot as the bulge increased to 5-0.

Brooke’s Emilee Knorr reached on an error leading off and McKay, who is headed to the University of Toledo, drew a walk. Morgantown’s Breonna Marietta doubled to deep left-center as Knorr raced home, making it 3-0. Oak Glen’s Kenna Calahan drove in the fourth run and Weir’s Mallory Rosnick lifted a fly ball to center that was deep enough to plate Marietta.

Ohio avoided being shut out when Miller lined a laser over the fence in right-center that cut the deficit to 5-1 in the seventh. The Buckeyes would score once in the eighth as Monroe Central’s Kalista Friday singled to left with one out. She went to second on a groundout and scored on a double to center by Cambridge’s Ryleigh Goodman.

“There was a lot of good pitching here tonight,” Ohio head coach Doug Pfeffer of Caldwell said. “You don’t see many 5-2 scores in all star games. Usually there are more runs scored, but tonight there were a lot more strikeouts than runs.”

McKay earned the win inside the circle while Kovarik suffered the loss.

Adkins was the lone batter with two hits as she singled in addition to her three-bagger.

The Buckeye State was held hitless until Indian Creek’s Carly Penner slapped a single through the left side of the infield with one out in the sixth.

GAME NOTES

-Player of the Year awards were presented during breaks in the action. The winners were Conotton Valley’s Masy Baker (Class 1A); Caldwell’s Madi Mumaw (Class 2A); Martins Ferry’s Maria Clark (Class 3A); Oak Glen’s McKay and Indian Creek’s Penner (Class 4A); and New Philadelphia’s Miller (Class 5A).

-The OVAC Coach of the Year was presented to Caldwell’s Doug Pfeffer.

-The win is the second straight in the series for West Virginia, but Ohio still holds a 16-7 advantage overall.