BY MICHAEL DAVID

Thirty-five runs.

The ball was jumping all over the place Friday afternoon at Founder’s Field in Hailey.

And the Lady Wolverines pulled it off in the end as they beat the Minico Spartans 18-17, following a couple hold-your-breath come-from-behind rallies.

This year's Wood River softball team has lived by the words of the great Yogi Berra, "It ain't over until it's over."

They won two come-from-behind victories sweeping a double header last weekend.

And on Friday the Lady Wolverines fought back from a large deficit to defeat the Minico Lady Spartans by a score of 18-17.

It went down to the last minute as Wood River scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to walk off with the victory, their third straight come-from-behind victory at home.

Minico jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first inning, fueled by the first of two three-run home runs by their shortstop Brinkley Stutzman.

The Wolverines cut into the Spartan's lead, scoring once in the bottom of the first as Morgan Benson knocked in Adelle Martin with a single.  They added another single run in the second when an Abigail Benson single brought home Emily Lizzaraga.

The Lady Spartans scored two more runs in the third inning to take a 7-2 lead, but the Lady Wolverines got back into the game, tallying three runs in the bottom half of the third to trim the lead to 7-5. First baseman, Cameron Martin delivered the big hit, driving home Lauren Thomsen and Marina Vercelli with a two-run double.

Three more runs by Minico in the fourth inning stretched the Spartan lead to 10-5. But once again Wood River responded with three runs in their half of the fourth to get back within two runs of their Great Basin conference rivals.

However, Stutzman's second home run of the game spurred a four-run fifth inning, putting Minico up by a count of 14-8. Both teams scored single runs in the next two frames, and Minico led by six runs entering the bottom of the sixth inning.

Wood River answered back by sending 11 batters to the plate, scoring six times on six hits.  Luci Cuellar brought home Adelle Martin and Lizarraga on a clutch two-out single, and Morgan Benson brought Cuellar home to tie the game at 15-15.

Two Spartan run's in the top of the seventh and final inning set the stage for the final Wolverine comeback.  Vercelli and Cameron Martin walked to open the inning for Wood River. Lizarraga reached on a Spartan error to load the bases with no outs. Adelle Martin singled home Vercelli to cut the lead in half, and Cuellar tied the game with a single. Sydney Roberts took one for the team, getting hit by a pitch and driving home the game winning run.

I’ve never been more proud of a group of girls in 19 years of coaching, said head coach Dale Martin.

These two teams will do battle again today—Saturday, April 22—in a double-header in Minico.  The first game starts at noon; the second, at 2 p.m.

Wood River Box Score           ab        r           h.       rbi         

Adele Martin  ss                      5          3          4          3

Luci Cuellar  cf                        5          2          3          3

Sydney Roberts  p                  5          1          1          2

Morgan Benson lf                    5          0          4          3

Lauren Thomsen  c                 5          2          2          0

Marina Vercelli  rf                    3          3          0          0

Cameron Martin. 1b                4          2          3          2

Emily Lizarraga  3b                 5          3          2          1

Abby Benson  2b                    4          2          2          1