T-L Photo/KIM NORTH Martins Ferry’s Luca Shane slides safely into third base Thursday night with a triple that scored two runs against Wheeling Central in the OVAC Class 3A Championship game at Mazeroski Field in Cadiz. However, the Maroon Knights doubled up the Purple Riders, 8-4, to win their second title in as many seasons.

CADIZ — Wheeling Central defended its OVAC Class 3A baseball championship but it wasn’t easy.

The top-seeded Maroon Knights rallied from a 1-0 deficit to score all of their runs in the second through fifth innings in an 8-4 doubling up of third-seeded Martins Ferry (6-6) Thursday nights under the lights at Mazeroski Field inside Sally Buffalo Park.

“I knew it was going to be a battle. We knew Martins Ferry was going to give us their best shot,” Wheeling Central head coach Todd Cover said. “I thought we played pretty well.”

Martins Ferry took a 1-0 lead in its first at-bat as Ayden Ludolph drew a leadoff walk and raced around the bases when Hunter Shutler sent a doubl;e to the gap in left-center.

A three-run third by Wheeling Central put it ahead as Koy Lipinski was hit with a pitch and Brady Ernest banged a single through the left side of the infield. With one out, Matt Criniti singled sharply to center to load the bases. Luke Tiu followed with an RBI single to shallow right and Braxton Billick chased home two runs with a double to right-center.

Luca Shane’s two-run, two-out triple down the right field line evened the count in the third, but the Maroon Knights kept adding on.

Lipinski, who had a single and two doubles, doubled leading off the third . Ernest and Kade Koroneros drew back-to-back walks to load the bases before Tiu roped a two-run double to left.

Eli Smith drew the Purple Riders to within 7-4 with a ground-rule double to left-center in the fifth, but Wheeling Central got the run back in the bottom of inning when Tiu raced home from third on a wild pitch.

Lipinski had three of the Maroon Knights’ 13 hits, while Tiu, the No. 9 hitter, had two. He also drove in three runs. Billick also singled twice.

Brayden Cover earned the win with nine strikeouts and three walks in five innings. Old brother, Seth, finished up with a trio of Ks. They teamed on a six-hitter.

“I thought both of my pitchers pitched well,” Coach Cover noted. “Brayden struggled a little but they put the bat on a couple of balls. Seth came in and did what we asked of him.”

Shutler collected two doubles while Smith singled and doubled.

Shutler also took the loss, striking out five and issuing one walk.

“I thought we played pretty good,” Martins Ferry head coach Anthony Reasbeck offered. “If I was a betting man, I’m gonna say this game will happen again in the next two years. They know we’re here now. We’re getting better and better as the games progress. We’re playing hard. We’re coaching our butts off. We’re not going to run and hide from Wheeling Central.

“This is fun. This is who you are supposed to play,” he added. “We’ve got the toughest schedule in the (Ohio) Valley. We are going to be after them for the next two years.

“Congratulations to them,” he said of Wheeling Central. “They are a really good baseball team.”