BEULAH — The Valley softball team (6-5) defeated Beulah (5-3) 10-8 in eight innings on Thursday afternoon.

“We played our hardest,” Valley assistant softball coach Summer Lewis said. “We did have to overcome some mistakes we made, but we played hard and came back, which is all you can ask for from the girls.”

Valley controlled a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.

After hitting four consecutive foul balls, two landing on Beulah’s baseball field during the Bobcats’ first game of the day against B.B. Comer, Bobcats junior Sydney Knight dropped a pop fly ball into right field for a two-RBI triple to cut Valley’s deficit to one at 3-2.

Beulah’s offensive momentum carried through into the bottom of the sixth inning when a wild pitch from Valley sophomore K.K. Green scored a Bobcats’ runner to give Beulah its first lead of the day at 4-3. Valley then gave up another base hit and committed an error that scored another Bobcat runner standing up to increase the lead to 5-3. Green was then taken off the mound when Alyssa Burrows came into the game for relief.

The Rams kept their chances alive by scoring four runs at the top of the seventh inning to take a 7-5 lead. 

Beulah returned the favor in the bottom of the seventh with a sacrifice groundball and an RBI triple to force the game into extras.

“I was really pleased,” Beulah head softball coach Stan Pepper said. “They hung in there, fought, scratched, clawed and we just came up on the short end of the stick this time. You win a few, lose a few. You just have to keep on fighting, keep on working and that’s what these girls will do.”

Valley returned at the top of the eighth inning, scoring its second run of the frame on a ground single with a Ram safely sliding into home plate to push the lead to 9-7. One more run was scored for insurance by Valley to go into the bottom of the eighth.

The two local teams brought out a passionate crowd that cheered on the teams coming down the wire.

“It’s always tense when we play Beulah,” Lewis said. “They are our closest team, and I guess that we can consider them a rival, but when our fans are here cheering us on, then we have to [perform well] for them.”

The drama intensified as bases were loaded for the Bobcats with two outs in a 10-7 score. A single gave Beulah a 10-8 lead. As parents in the bleachers and chairs held their phones capturing video of the moment, Beulah lost the game striking out.

“It was a good ballgame if you enjoy the game of softball,” Pepper said. “If you were a Bobcat, it was a little tough on you at the end, but you win some, you lose some. We play 20-30 games, so you’re going to lose one every once in a while. I’m proud of the girls, proud of the fans and we’ll bounce back.”

With both schools entering spring break, Beulah returns to action on April 2 at Wadley and Valley will host Wadley at home on April 1.