SOFTBALL: Leland wins it for Elverado in the 9th against Eldorado
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Kelsey Leland drove in the tying and game-winning runs with a single in the bottom of the ninth inning on Thursday to give Elverado a 4-3 win over visiting Eldorado. Alicen Torres had sent the game to extra innings after stealing home for the Lady Falcons in the bottom of the seventh.
"I'm proud of the way we battled back both times we were down today," said Elverado head softball coach Donette Wheatley.
The game was scoreless for the first five innings before the Lady Eagles got on the board on RBI from Charly Lowery and Kara Dale in the top of the sixth. Jessica McGill led off the inning with a double and scored the first run, Ashton Unthank reached on an error and plated the second.
Elverado chipped away with a run in the bottom of the inning when starting pitcher Corrine Wilson tripled home Meghann Trammel with two outs to make it 2-1 Eldorado.
Torres walked and ended up at third after a walk to Leland and a passed ball, then stole home with two outs in the inning to keep Elverado's hopes alive.
After neither team got a runner past first base in the eighth, the Lady Eagles put together three straight singles to start the ninth. Corina Steed's base hit brought in Michaela Laswell for the go-ahead run, but Wilson escaped further damage.
Erika Will walked to lead off the Lady Falcons' half of the ninth, then Torres came up to bunt. The catcher's throw sailed wide to put Will at third base, then Leland showed bunt as Torres stole second to put two runners in scoring position. With a 2-2 count, Leland hit a line drive down the first base line to plate a pair of runs for the walk-off extra-inning victory.
Trammel (2-3, BB, R), Wilson (1-4, 3B, RBI) and Leland (1-3, BB, 2 RBI) had hits for the Lady Falcons (12-11, 3-6). Samantha Mings (2-4) led Eldorado with a pair of hits.
Wilson was the winning pitcher, giving up eight hits and two walks while fanning six. Laswell took the loss, allowing four hits and five walks with thirteen strikeouts.
Elverado's next scheduled game is Tuesday at Fairfield.
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