Marysville edges Dixon in walk-off fashion

With his team trailing by two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on Tuesday, Marysville High softball coach Maurice Clavelle gathered his team and told them the time was now.

The Indians had already left nine runners stranded on base while seeing their two-run lead evaporate, and with first place in the Golden Empire League on the line, there was no more margin for error.

The coach made his speech, then he watched as his club rose to the occasion.

Junior first baseman Maddy Harvell put a rough day in the field behind her by delivering a walk-off RBI single as the Indians rallied for three runs in the final inning to earn a dramatic 5-4 victory over Dixon at Abby Field.

It was the biggest win of the year for the Indians, who took two of three from the Rams to move into sole possession of first place with five games remaining in the regular season.

"I told them 'This is it girls. This is where you want to be, now it's up to you,'" said a relieved Clavelle after the game. "This team is solid one through nine, and even the girls on the bench contribute. This was a team effort today."

Marysville (13-5, 8-1) scored an unearned run in the second and added another run in the third when Marissa Clavelle lined a triple and scored on a base knock by freshman Brina Buttacavoli for a 2-0 lead.

However, the Indians left eight runners on base over the first four innings and Dixon (12-5, 11-2) answered back by scoring a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and one more in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead into the final frame.

Things started ominously for the Indians in the seventh when ace pitcher Ashten Welch sent a high drive to center that was caught next to the outfield wall for the first out of the inning.

But Clavelle then singled, and when Dixon shortstop Nicole Deusenberry threw a would-be double play ball into right field, the Indians were in business with runners on second and third.

Danielle Ferrari followed with a single to score Clavelle and when Buttacavoli scored on a wild pitch, the Indians had battled back to tie it.

But they weren't done yet.

With Ferrari standing on third, Harvell stepped to the plate and lined a 2-2 pitch back up the middle and the Indians' dugout emptied to celebrate the walk-off victory.

"I was thinking we were going to get them in, and then it came to the seventh, and I said now we've got to get them in," Clavelle said of the stranded baserunners. "I knew we had our 3-4-5 hitters coming up and I have confidence in every one of these girls. They knew how big this game was."

It was sweet redemption for Harvell, who committed two errors at first base before coming up big with the game-winning hit.

"She had to be down on herself a bit, so that was huge for her," Clavelle said. "She knew what she had to do, so I just left her alone."

For Harvell, making amends for her two defensive miscues was at the top of her mind.

"I just told myself I had to get a hit to make up for it," she said. "I had to get a hit to get it back for my team. I just wanted anything close that I could hit and put in play."

Welch picked up the win by scattering seven hits and striking out nine in a complete-game effort. Clavelle finished 2 for 4 with a triple while scoring twice and Tressa Arostegui and Ferrari smacked two hits each to lead the Marysville offense.

The Indians' JV team also won 5-4.

Mackensey Pike went 3 for 3 with a double and a triple, Sidney Harrington was 3 for 3 with two doubles and an RBI and Brandie Gilliam finished 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI to lead the way for the Indians (9-7, 5-0).