With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning and Haley Ellis at third base, Brookhaven Academy pitcher Madi Smith intentionally walked Marty Lewis to try to set up a double play.
That turned out to be a big mistake. Baylee Graning executed a perfect bunt that allowed Ellis to score the game-winning run as the Cathedral Lady Green Wave defeated the Lady Cougars 9-8 to finish in second place in MAIS District 4-AAA.
Cathedral first rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to tie the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth inning and then forced extra innings with a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth that knotted the score at 8-8.
“We had a couple of errors in the second inning that cost us a few runs. We kept our composure and battled back,” Lady Green Wave head coach Gary Blackwell said. “Brookhaven hit the ball. It went around and around for a while.”
Lewis came on in relief after Elizabeth Smith gave up five runs in the first two innings and kept Cathedral in the game. She allowed three runs (none earned) on four hits and struck out five in six innings. She also had a big game at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and three runs batted in.
Lauren Dunbar had a double of her own while Graning went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
“It was senior night, and there were a lot of emotions,” Blackwell said.
Cathedral (8-10-2, 5-3) next plays at a time to be determined Saturday against Centreville Academy, the No. 3 seed out of District 5-AAA, in the first round of the MAIS Class AAA South State Tournament at Silliman Institute.