Atlanta rallied, Liberty-Eylau countered, and the Lady Leopards came out on top in extra innings against the Lady Rabbs.
Atlanta trailed the entire game, but down to its final out put together a 4-run rally in the top of the seventh to take the lead. L-E knotted the game in the bottom of the seventh, also stringing together the action with two outs, and then got a bases-loaded hit in the ninth from winning pitcher Bella Gunderson to escape with a 6-5 win Monday at H.E. Markham Park.
"I couldn't be more proud of our outfield; they made some great plays," Liberty-Eylau coach Todd Tipton said. "The Norris twins made some terrific catches, and we played solid defense in the infield, as well. That's what we've got to do. We left some runners on base. Overall, I'm proud they kept fighting.
"Atlanta made some great plays in the outfield too. Their center fielder (Victoria Bergt) made a catch to end the eighth that we would've scored on. It was a good all-around game."
Gunderson worked all nine innings for the Leopards (2-1 District 14-4A), scattering 12 hits with one strikeout and four walks.
Rebecca Thomas suffered the loss in relief, pitching seven innings, fanning one, walking none, hitting a batter and giving up seven hits-four in the final frame.
Keeley Norris had a swinging bunt to start the ninth for the Leopards, and Tori Foster lined a single to center before an out was recorded. M.J. Coleman had an infield hit to load the bases, and Gunderson lined her only hit to left-center field to end the game.
Coleman was 4 for 4 with 3 RBI, and Gunderson also had 3 RBI on the night. Norris and Foster, who was 2 for 4, each scored three times.
Foster reached second on a 2-out throwing error in the bottom of the seventh, and Coleman's single over the bag at third brought her in to tie the game.
Half an inning earlier was the Rabbs' big inning.
A leadoff walk as followed by Kinsey Kelly's line-drive single to left. A fielder's choice nailed the runner at third, and a flyout to center brought an L-E win an out away. However, Atlanta (0-3 district) wasn't done.
Kaydee Kelly dropped a single into short right field to bring in a run, putting runners on the corners, and Thomas drilled a 2-run triple to deep right-center field to knot the score. She scored when Gracie Smith beat out an infield hit to give the Rabbs their short-lived lead.
Atlanta's other run was in the third when Kinsey Kelly, Victoria Bergt and Victoria Johnson each singled, and Kinsey Kelly scored on a wild pitch. The Rabbs stranded 13 on in the game with eight of those through the first three innings, stranding the bases loaded in the second and third.
"We just couldn't get the timely hit and put it together," Atlanta coach Tobie Dunlap said. "That's been the story of our district. We started (the season) off pretty well, but we've really been struggling in district with timely hits. We keep on leaving runners on base, and tonight we were just unlucky. Maybe the second half of the season we'll get lucky."
Keeley Norris walked in the first for Liberty-Eylau, and Foster grounded a single up the middle. Coleman followed another walk with her first hit, giving the Leopards the lead, and a sacrifice fly earned Gunderson an RBI. Three free passes to start the third set up Coleman's sac fly and Gunderson's RBI groundout.
Smith led Atlanta with a 3-for-5 performance, Thomas was 2 for 4 with her triple and 2 RBI, and Kinsey Kelly and Johnson each had two singles.
Atlanta 001 000 400 - 5 12 2
Liberty-Eylau 202 000 101 - 6 9 1
One out when winning run scored.
Kaydee Kelly, Rebecca Thomas (3) and Kinsey Kelly. Bella Gunderson and Savannah Phelps. WP-Gunderson. LP-Thomas.