Taylor Dotson slides in with an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth. She was 3-for-3 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs on the day.

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It's not every home game you spot the opponent three runs while starting the game with the bases loaded.

But that's what the Siuslaw Vikings did Saturday, before battling back for a 12-11 Far West League softball victory over the visiting Brookings-Harbor Bruins.

"I've never spotted a team three runs and had to go," Vikings coach Sean O'Mara said. "I'm really proud of our girls, the way they competed.

"They could have thrown themselves a Pity Party, but they didn't."

Saturday's game picked up where it was stopped by rain Tuesday, with the Bruins up 3-0 with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the first inning.

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"It was kind of weird starting down 3-0 already, but it was not something we couldn't handle," Siuslaw catcher Nikki Launius said.

Brookings-Harbor pushed three more runs across before the top of the first inning was officially over, and the Vikings took their first turn at bat down 6-0.

Siuslaw batted around in the bottom of the first to slice the Bruins' lead to 6-5, then sent seven batters to the plate in the bottom of the second to go ahead 8-6.

Brookings-Harbor mounted its own comeback with a run in the third and four more in the fourth to jump ahead 11-8.

Then came some momentum-changing plays, including Taylor Dotson's hustling triple in the bottom of the fourth, center fielder Anna Stonelake's fine running catch to help cut short a Bruins rally in the top of the fifth and two more top defensive plays by shortstop Anna Petras in the top of the seventh to end it.

"Oh my gosh, that was so cool," Launius said of Dotson's triple, which was capped by a long slide into the bag just ahead of the ball. "We call it the 'Taylor trailer' when she's like running. So anytime she's going, we yell at her to unhook her 'Taylor trailer.'

"It was awesome. I was so happy for her."

Dotson's hustle put a smile on her coach's face.

"It helps with the other kids," O'Mara said. "Taylor's not one of our fastest athletes, so when she can get the extra base like that, then it's let's go, let's show some commitment."

Taylor drove in a run with her triple and later scored on a Heidi Jones single as the Vikings closed the gap to 11-10 through four innings.

Claire Waggoner doubled home the tying run in the bottom of the fifth, then scored the game-winner on a Launius single.

"It does feel good to win," Launius said. "Anytime you come off a win, it's helpful, it's a big boost of motivation."

It also has O'Mara still talking postseason for his Vikings.

"I think the group we have right now can still get into the playoffs," he said. "We just need to beat the teams we should beat, and sneak in another win or two, and we'll be fine."

NOTES

Siuslaw third baseman Taylor Dotson was 3-for-3 in the game with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs ...

Heidi Jones, Anna Petras and Claire Waggoner each clubbed a double in the game, with Jones driving in a team-high 3 runs and Petras and Waggoner scoring 2 runs each. ...

Jones struck out five and walked three in recording her fourth win of the season. She hurled a total of 307 pitches over two days, 215 in a doubleheader Friday against Douglas and another 92 Saturday against Brookings-Harbor. ...

Vikings regular second baseman Jenicah Ecker has been sidelined with an ankle injury, and hopes to return for next Friday's doubleheader at South Umpqua. ...

Next game for the Vikings is 5 p.m. Tuesday at North Bend. ...

LINESCORE
Tuesday, April 12, and Saturday, April 16, at Siuslaw High School

BROOKINGS-HARBOR     601 400 0  —  11    9    6
SIUSLAW                            530 220 X  —  12    8    4
Winning pitcher — Heidi Jones. Losing pitcher — Haley Murray.