BY MICHAEL DAVID

The Wood River Wolverine softball team met up with the Burley Bobcats for a double-header on Saturday at Founders Softball Field in Hailey.

Burley jumped out on top in both games and built sizable leads, only to watch the Wolverines mount thrilling comeback victories.

In the first game, Wood River come from behind twice late, scoring 6 runs in the last inning to tie the game and send it to extra-innings. Then the Wolverines scored 2 runs in the extra frame to walk off with a 17-16 victory.

In game 2, the never-say-die Wolverines clawed back from a 4-run deficit, scoring 2 runs in the final inning to win 9-8. 

Early in the first game, the Lady Wolverines held the lead briefly, scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 7-5 lead behind a bases-loaded single by senior shortstop Adelle Martin.  But the Bobcats bounced back with a 6-run 4th inning to take a 11-7 lead.

Burley tacked on an additional run in the 5th to boost their lead to 5 runs.  But Martin struck again in the bottom half of the 5th, doubling home Erica Kreczkowski and scoring on a Luci Cueller single to cut the lead down to 3 and draw within striking distance once again, 12-9.

But the view turned bleak for the Wood River faithful gathered on a brisk sunny day, as the Bobcats scored 3 runs in the top of the 7th inning to take a 15-9 lead.  It was going to take a miracle to come back and win this game, and a miraculous finish is exactly what the fans were treated to by the Lady Wolverines.

Emily Lizarraga led off the inning getting hit by a pitch, followed by base on balls to Martin and Cueller to load the bases. Sydney Roberts singled home Lizarraga to bring the home team within 5 runs, now trailing 15-10.

Aloe Orison walked, forcing in Martin, and Janessa Avila was hit by a pitch for the fourth time in the game to bring home Cueller and cut the deficit to 3 runs  Marina Vercelli stepped up to the plate with the bases still loaded, and hit an opposite field single, scoring Roberts and Orison, making the score 15-14 with Avila at third base and Vercelli at first and still no outs.

But Kreczkowski lined out to the Bobcat first baseman who doubled off Vercelli, and the Wolverines were down to their final out.  That’s when Freshman Lauren Thomsen came through in the clutch, singling up the middle to score Avila and send the game into extra innings.

Burley scored a single run in their half of the 8th inning to once again force a comeback by Wood River.  With the "Kansas City" tiebreaker rules in effect, a runner starts the extra inning on second base.  Lizzaraga, the base runner on second, advanced to third on Martin's single. Cueller singled in Martin to tie the game at 16-16, setting the stage for the final blow by Sydney Roberts.  Roberts singled, bringing home Cueller for the 17-16 victory, igniting a celebration by the team in the infield.

Possibly experiencing a let-down, the Wolverines allowed the Bobcats to jump out to an early 6-2 lead after 2 innings in game 2.  The teams traded runs in the third and fourth innings, and Burley maintained their 4-run lead.

Behind three straight singles by Orison, Avila and Thomsen, the Wolverines plated 2 runs to cut the deficit in half, 7-5.  Burley scored in the top half of the 6th, but Wood River bounced back with 2 more runs in the last half of the 6th as Martin and Roberts scored after reaching base safely with singles.  But the Wolverines still trailed by one entering the final inning of the afternoon.

Vercelli and Cueller began the inning with singles.  Following one out, Lizzaraga walked to load the bases.  Martin drew a walk to force home Vercelli and tie the game.  Roberts filed out to the Burley second baseman, and once again, the Wolverines were down to their final out.  This time, Orison was the hero, knocking home Cueller for the winning run and the double-header sweep.

"This team is resilient. They never give up," Coach Jeff Martin said after the games.  "The first game was a lot of fun, but the comeback in the second game was surprising. I was concerned they might not be able to climb back in again, but this group is gaining confidence, and they showed it."

Wood River defeated the Bobcats 11-3 on Friday afternoon in Burley, and now sits at 3-5 in conference play.

The Wolverines are back in action in Hailey on Monday, April 17, against the Mt. Home Tigers.  First pitch is at 4:30 pm.

GAME 1

Wood River Box Score           ab        r           h          rbi       

Adele Martin  ss                      4          3          3          3

Luci Cuellar  cf                        3          1          2          3

Sydney Roberts  p                  5          2          3          3

Aloe Orison  lf                         3          1          0          1

Janessa Avila  dp                   1          3          1          2

Marina Vercelli rf                    5          2          3          4

Erica Kreczkowski  1b            1          2          0          1

Lauren Thomsen c                  2          1          1          2

Emily Lizarraga  3b                 0          2          0          1

GAME 2

Wood River Box Score           ab        r           h          rbi       

Adele Martin  ss                      3          2          1          1

Sydney Roberts p                   5          2          3          2

Aloe Orison lf.                         4          1          2          1

Janessa Avila 1b                     4          1          1          1

Lauren Thomsen c                  3          1          1          0

Marina Vercelli dp                   3          1          1          0

Luci Cueller cf                         3          1          1          1

Erica Kreczkowski                  3          0          1          1

Emily Lizarraga  3b                 2          0          0          0