Andrew Grimm MAKING A THROW — Madonna centerfielder Geena Birkhimer fires the ball back in after tracking it down after a Wheeling Central hit Thursday.

For the Madonna softball team, it certainly seems like Wheeling Central has theirs.

The Maroon Knights defeated the Blue Dons for a second-straight meeting Thursday afternoon on the turf at the Oak Glen Field of Dreams Complex, 13-5.

Wheeling Central also topped Madonna 6-0 last week in Wheeling. The two losses to the Knights are the first two of the season for Madonna after a 12-0 start to the season.

“It’s a very disappointing loss,” Madonna head coach Jason Backel said.

Andrew Grimm ROUNDING THE BASES — Madonna's Madi Owens high-fives head coach Jason Backel as she rounds third after one of her two homers against Wheeling Central.

Madonna was charged with four errors in the game and the Knights (11-7) drew six walks aiding a dozen hits in brining across enough runs to end things early. Wheeling Central plated five runs in the top of the second inning after Madonna had taken a 1-0 lead in the first, then exploded for seven runs in the top of the third.

A rain delay halted the action for a bit, but Backel was not ready to make it an excuse.

“There’s no excuse, I don’t care if the ball is wet,” he said. “You can’t give an athletic team like that extra outs. We hit a lot better this time, but you just can’t have that many errors against a team like them.

“That’s the difference in getting out of an inning giving up one or two or five or six, you can’t do that. We’re better than what we showed. We’ll get back to work and keep working to improve.”

For Wheeling Central, it was a big bounce back win after a tough loss to Edison a day prior.

“That was a tough one against Edison … I’m glad that our girls didn’t stay down,” Wheeling Central head coach Buck Davidson said. “They came out ready to play and bounced right back.”

The Knights were led by two doubles and four RBIs from Maddie Miehle, while Bella Rine had two hits and an RBI, Seneca Heller doubled in a run, Erin Maxwell had a double, two singles and an RBI and Sydney Hupp had a pair of base knocks.

Olivia Kiaski struck out six and did not walk a batter in the circle, tossing all five innings before the run rule ended things early.

“Madonna always has a good team and plays us hard,” Davidson said. “They have some really good players. We had a couple bounces go our way and we were able to take advantage of them. Our girls played a good game.”

For Madonna, senior slugger Madi Owens blasted a pair of homers and drove in three runs. She now has nine homers on the season and 31 RBIs. Tina Littleton also plated a pair of runs.

UP NEXT

Wheeling Central: Visits Tyler Consolidated today.

Madonna: Has another tough match up on Saturday at Martins Ferry.

Wheeling Central 13, Madonna 5

At Oak Glen Field of Dreams Complex

WC 0-5-7 0-1-x x — 13 12 0

M 1-2-0 0-2-x x — 5 8 4

WHEELING CENTRAL (11-7): Kiaski (WP, CG, 5R, 5ER, 6K, 0BB) and Hupp. Ma. Miehle 2D, 4RBIs; Mo. Miehle S; Rine 2S, RBI; Maxwell D, 2S, RBI; S. Heller D, RBI; Hupp 2S; Kiaski S; B. Heller RBI.

MADONNA (12-2): Ryan (LP, 2 1/3IP, 11R, 6ER, 9H, 1K, 3BB), Conley (2 2/3 IP, 2R, 2ER, 3H, 1K, 3BB) and Foresha. Owens 2HR, 3RBIs; Conley S; Ryan S; R. Birkhimer S; Foresha S; Gamble S; Littleton S, 2RBIs.