VIDALIA — A walk-off error was a fitting end to a sloppy game for the Vidalia softball team Thursday, but the Lady Vikings were just happy to be on the winning end.

Tied 7-7 against Bolton with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Vidalia’s Kassi Randall had just driven in the tying run and eagerly stood on second base. The next batter, catcher Eryn Secrest, popped a ball up to the right side of the infield, and second baseman Megan Kokemor called for the ball.

However, it bounced off her glove, allowing Randall to score and giving Vidalia the 8-7 win. Lady Vikings coach Gary Parnham said the way his team won didn’t matter, he was just glad they did.

“It’s a weird way to win, but I’ll take any win I can get,” Parnham said.

Vidalia (6-17) led 5-2 going into the top of the seventh, but slopping fielding by Vidalia and timely hitting by Bolton caused the Lady Vikings to blow the lead. With Bolton’s Anna Yancey on third, Secrest attempted to pick her off, but third baseman Katlyn Thornton let the throw get away from her, allowing Yancey to score.

Kokemor scored next on a passed ball, and Amy Jackson crossed home after Kelly Wytcherly bunted for a single that Secrest was unable to field for an out. Lindsay Trammell then singled in Wytcherly, giving Bolton a 6-5 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

Vidalia wouldn’t let itself get knocked out, however. Randall started the bottom of the seventh with a triple, and Secrest drove her in on a single, tying the game 6-6. Bolton prevented any more runs from scoring, sending the game into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, Wytcherly drove in Jackson on a single, giving Bolton a 7-6 lead and another chance at closing the game out.

Timely hitting and a little luck kept Vidalia alive, however, as Kennedy Beard reached on a fielding error by Bolton first baseman Kerstain Stanley. She then stole second, and was driven in by Randall, tying the game and setting up Secrest’s fateful popup.

“We’ve been doing this all year,” Parnham said. “There have been four or five different occasions where we went into the last inning with the lead, but made mistakes and gave that lead up.

“I’ll say this about my girls, though, they never give up, but we should have about five more wins.”

After Bolton scored one run in the first inning, the game remained 1-0 Bolton until the bottom of the fourth, when Vidalia pitcher Laura Perilloux doubled in Randi Cox and Thornton.

Bolton tied the game 2-2 in the top of the sixth on an RBI double by Arianna Davis. Vidalia scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Perilloux and a throwing error by Trammell at third base that allowed two runs.

Perilloux got the win, pitching all eight innings. Wytcherly took the loss.

Bolton fell to 21-9 on the season.