Mike Hughes MOVING ON — Beaver Local celebrates its win over Oak Glen to reach the OVAC Class 4A title game.

ELM GROVE – Beaver Local’s Addie Thurik delivered a dominant performance in the circle, and Thurik and teammate Brenna Jones exhibited timely hitting as the Beavers advanced to the OVAC Class 4A finale with a 4-2 victory against Oak Glen.

The win gives Beaver a shot at just its second OVAC softball championship, the first coming way back in 2001 during a much earlier time during head coach Mark Cashdollar’s tenure.

“It’s been a long time,” Cashdollar admitted.

The Golden Bears, perennial conference title contenders in recent years, had an opportunity late, loading the bases with zero outs in the final inning.

But Thurik, who finished with 14 strikeouts, regained her composure, struck out the next two batters, and recorded the final out, scoring 1-3 on a ground ball to the circle.

The game was a near reverse of an earlier season 4-2 loss to Oak Glen.

In that game, Golden Bears’ hurler Danica Holden struck out 12 while Thurik fanned nine in the low-scoring affair.

This time, it was Thurik who kept the designated visitors’ bats off balance throughout.

She aided her in cause in the fifth with a solo jack put Beaver ahead for good at 3-2 after the Bears knotted the score at 2-2 the previous half inning.

The first two runs came off the bat of Jones, who clubbed back-to-back doubles in her first two at-bats, driving in a run each time.

In this game, the Beavers displayed better plate discipline, finishing with nine hits.

“We definitely hit the ball a bit better this time,” Cashdollar noted. “We came a long way from that first game.”

Holden and Macy Hartung each finished with a single, a double, and a RBI, which allowed Oak Glen to tie the score midway through the game at 2-2.

Following Thurik’s blast in the fifth, the Beavers struck a final time in the sixth, with Thurik again aiding her own cause on a run-scoring single.

The Beavers will face Weir High, a 9-1 winner against Edison in the 4A nightcap.

“The girls want to play; they really want to play,” Cashdollar said. “And that goes a long way.”

Mattie Carney struck out seven batters for Oak Glen in the loss.

Beaver improved to 19-3, avenging that season-opening defeat and the lone loss to an OVAC team this season. The Beavers’ other defeats came against Youngstown Ursuline, and Lawrence County.

OVAC Class 4A Semifinal

Beaver Local 4, Oak Glen 2

Oak Glen 000 002 0 – 2 7 3

Beaver Local 010 111 x – 4 9 0

O – Carney lp (7K, 0BB) and Heath. Heath D; Hartung S, D, rbi; Holden S, D, rbi.

B – Thuik wp (14K, 1BB) and Curtis. Thurik 2S, HR, 3rbi; Call 2S; Anderson D; Jones 2D, 2rbi.