Senior Rebecca Velasco and sophomore Kelly Ireland each scored in the top half of the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie and give Byron-Bergen a 5-3 win over Kendall in girl’s softball.
Velasco started the inning rally with a lead-off double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Ireland followed with a walk and stole second before another wild pitch plated Velasco with what would prove to be the winning run. After a pair of strikeouts, Ireland came across on yet a third wild pitch with the fifth and final run.
The Bees earlier jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Ireland drove in eighth-grader Kendall Phillips with a double and later scored on a wild pitch and error.
Kendall came back with three runs in their half of the second inning as catcher Ciera Kupferschmid walked and later scored on first baseman Kelly Mayes’ RBI single. After a walk to left fielder Katherine Pearson and a force out, Elizabeth Sutphen knocked in Pearson on an RBI single with both runners moving up on the throw home. Shortstop Brittney Marks then gave the Eagles a 3-2 lead when she came across on a wild pitch.
Byron-Bergen came right back to tie the game in the next half-inning as Phillips stroked a lead-off double down the right field line and advanced to third on a groundout before scoring on an RBI foul-out by Ireland.
Both teams held each other off the scoreboard for the next four innings with help from some excellent defense before the Bees eighth inning rally.
Kendall did load the bases in their last at-bat as second baseman Autumn Woodward and third baseman Madison Sonitsky singled while pitcher Sara Mattle drew a walk, but Bees hurler Phillips struck out a batter and induced an infield pop-up to give the Bees their third win of the season.
