The USC batter tries to make contact during the Rebels’ game against Madelia last Tuesday.

The United South Central girls softball team won a thriller on Tuesday, April 19. With the game all tied at five apiece, the Rebels won it 6-5 by scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

USC jumped off to an early lead by scoring three runs in the first inning and another run in the second inning to go up 4-0 over the visiting Madelia Blackhawks.

But the Blackhawks came back with two runs in the third to cut the lead to 4-2. The Rebels scored once in the bottom of the third to make their lead 5-2.

But Madelia scored a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh to tie the game at 5-all, and send it into extra innings. Both teams were scoreless in the eighth, but USC ended it with a run in the bottom of the ninth.

The Rebels outhit the Blackhawks 13 to 2 in the game. Sam Swanson was 3 for 4, while Kendal Harpestad was 2 for 3, Molly Wegner was 2 for 4, Mariah Anderson and Hannah Meyer were both 2 for 5, and Kiera Schultz and Merideth Klingbeil each had one hit.

One of Meyer’s hits was a triple. She also scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. After reaching base on an error, Meyer came around to score on a single by Swanson.

Anderson pitched all nine innings for the Rebels. She allowed the five runs on two hits, struck out 18 and walked six.

The Rebels were scheduled to play Randolph on Thursday, April 21, and Glenville-Emmons on Saturday, April 23.

This week they are set to play Triton on Monday, April 25 and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown on Thursday, April 28, both games at home.