Such was the case as the top-seeded Purple Riders watched a 6-0 lead disappear as No. 4 Garaway scored nine times in the top of the sixth inning following a 30-minute lightning delay. However, displaying a never-say-no attitude once again, Martins Ferry plated four runs in the bottom of the inning to pocket a cherished, 10-9, victory in a Division III Eastern District Region 11 semifinal on the artificial surface at Harrison Central High School.

“I’ve never seen anything like this team. How many times are we going to do this?” a very relieved Martins Ferry head coach Jerry Magistro said while shaking his head. “But as long as we come out on top, that’s all that matters.

“These kids bailed me out today. They have no quit in them and the seniors, along with the others, don’t want to lose.

“They got in that little circle in the middle of the sixth and the seniors told everyone that they didn’t want this to be their last game. They talked about it and then went out and did it.”

On the short end of a 9-6 count, Hunter Pollock drew her third base-on-balls of the game leading off the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Maria Clark lined a double to the gap in left-center that plated Pollock. Taylor Bell then reached on an error as Clark went to third. Bell took second on catcher’s indifference and both runners scored on Nevaeh Hall’s single up the middle. When the ball got past the centerfielder, Hall raced around to third and was replaced by courtesy runner Riley Doyle. After Ella McFarland walked, Eve Agnew legged out an infield single as Doyle raced home with what proved to be the game-winning run.

Leading 6-0 before the lightning delay, Lauren McFarland was dealing inside the circle. The senior had allowed just four hits, struck out four and didn’t walk a batter. However, when play resumed Kelsie Gillespie took over and the junior didn’t have her best stuff.

She yielded six hits and was charged with six runs before McFarland was summoned back to the middle of the diamond. McFarland gave up an inside-the-park grand slam to the Pirates’ Jordyn Keim that put the designated visitors ahead, 9-6. Keim had tripled in a run earlier in the outburst and finished with five RBI.

With a Garaway runner on first and only one out in the seventh, McFarland struck out Lily Sprecht for the second out.

“That was probably the biggest strikeout of my career,” she admitted.

The next batter sent a popup to the middle of the infield that McFarland gloved for the final out before being mobbed by her teammates.

“I was in tears,” she said as the ball was coming down into her glove for the 21st out.

“Lauren was a warrior today … a warrior,” Magistro praised. “She did it. She was a leader.”

“I’ve never wanted to get back inside the circle so bad,” Lauren McFarland said while wiping away tears of joy. “I like winning. I don’t want to stop playing.”

Pollock scored four times from the leadoff spot.

“That’s why she is there,” Magistro said of Pollock. “I know Hunter can hit the ball, and it’s not just home runs. She always seems to come up with clutch hits and she really has a good eye at the plate. That’s why she is our leadoff hitter.”

When asked about the pitching change, Magistro took all the blame.

“I need to go with my heart and I really didn’t go with it there. That’s my fault,” he said. “I just thought that maybe Lauren was getting a little tired and they were starting to time her up, but Kelsie has done a great job all year. That was my mistake and nobody else’s.”

Martins Ferry will now await the winner of today’s other semifinal between No. 2 Harrison Central and No. 5 Tusky Valley at Conotton Valley High School. That game was postponed Monday due to rain.

“Whoever wins, you know they’re going to be a good team,” Magistro said when asked whether it matters who is up next.”We’ve beaten Harrison Central twice already, but both games were battles. Tusky Valley is always up there it seems.”

The district winner travels to Unioto High School in Chillicothe on Wed., May 25 for regional action against the winner of Wheelersburg-Ironton.