SOUTHERLAND—After the Broadwater Academy Lady Vikings took the lead from the Southampton Academy Lady Raiders in the top of the second, SA spent the whole game looking up.

The girls went into the bottom of the seventh inning trailing 5-3, and Brook Mizelle gave them hope, leading off that inning with a double. Mason Pope followed up with a pop-out that did not advance the runner.

A wild pitch advanced Mizelle to third, after a close call at third base, where she slid under the tag. Morgan Pope reached on an error, and that scored the runner.

Kelly Ferguson came in to pinch hit, and she laid down a bunt and beat out the throw, which advanced Morgan Pope to third. Ferguson stole second on the next pitch. Allison Matthews then came up to the plate and hit a walk-off double, sending the Lady Raiders to a 6-5 victory.

Morgan Pope knocked in the two runs during the first inning, and the third run was scored on an outfield error in the top of the fifth.

“They never gave up,” said Head Coach Jeb Bradshaw. “They never laid down and quit. They just kept right on battling to the end.”

Bradshaw said it was an error-filled game, as Broadwater had 4, and Southampton had 3. They’ll have to play better defense today, he said.

“We battled through the errors and were able to win the game,” he added. “But a good defense will more often win the ball game.”

In the VISAA Div. III State Championship today at 7 p.m., the Lady Raiders will face the Lady Kavaliers of Kenston Forest in a rematch of sorts from the VCC Championship Game.

“We’ve played them three times,” he said. “We beat them twice, and they beat us once in the VCC Championship.”

Bradshaw said if they just play SA Raiders softball, they should be fine.

“I just want them to play their game,” he said. “I don’t want them to be forced into anything other their game.

“I want them to play a sound game. If we play sound softball, it should be a good game.”