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SMITHVILLE — Down 9-8 in the bottom of the seventh with runners on second and third, Lady Tigers junior Raini Stanley stepped into a pitch that soared all the way to the wall before hitting the ground and scoring the winning run.
The Lady Tigers fought back from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the La Grange Lady Leopards 10-9 last week at home.
Stanley ended up with a triple on the play to seal the game. With the reality not hitting her yet, she was swarmed by her teammates in celebration.
The Lady Tigers first rally came in the bottom of the third. Down 4-0 to the Lady Leopards, Addison Otto stepped up to the plate with a runner on first.
Otto made contact with a pitch that went high and far into the air, which caused a buzz in the crowd. The ball sailed over the fence and cut the Lady Leopards' lead in half giving the Lady Tigers a chance to get back into the game.
The Lady Tigers stayed the course, and did not get too high or too low knowing an opportunity would come. The two teams traded blows offensively with the Lady Leopards maintaining a slight edge thanks to their great defense and offense.
On their home field, the Lady Tigers knew they would capture magic before the stadium lights were turned off. In the bottom of the seventh they did just that.
As the winning run slid into home plate the crowd erupted in cheers as they defeated their district rivals. Not only did the Lady Tigers win the game, but also captured their second district win to secure themselves in second place behind Caldwell.
Looking to expand on their district record, the Lady Tigers looked to their next matchup against the Manor New Tech Titans Tuesday, March 28, on their home field.
