DRIVER – After allowing 10 runs in the top of the first inning, Bennett’s Creek’s Minor League (ages 9-10) softball team could’ve called it a night on Tuesday in its first game of the District 6 all-star tournament against Wilson/Cradock.

Instead, Bennett’s Creek made it a long, and in the end, victorious night. Wilson/Cradock got the tying run as far as second base in the top of the sixth, but BC caught the runner trying to steal third for the final out in a 17-16 game which lasted three hours and 10 minutes.

Walks made up nearly all of the offense for both teams. In the end, BC got good pitching from relievers Tashira Burch and Madison Rhoads, which allowed the BC offense to chip away at the big early deficit.

Two BC runs came across on a groundout off the bat of Victoria Abel to make it a 10-5 score through two innings.

Burch, who came on for starting pitcher Katelynn Hodgkiss in the first inning, held Wilson/Cradock to five runs in 3.1 innings pitched, including shutout frames in the second and fifth innings.

BC took the lead with a seven-run rally in the third, getting seven runs with the benefit of one hit in the inning. The hit was a bunt by Burch, BC’s leadoff hitter. The bunt turned into a home run thanks to a throwing error that sent the ball way down the rightfield line, allowing Burch to sprint all the way around. Three runs scored on the play, and BC led 12-11 at the inning’s end.

With the score tied, 13-13, going to the BC fifth, Kelly Lafferty and Emily Hunter drew walks to start the inning. Lafferty eventually scored on a wild pitch, and Hunter came in on a single by Rhoads. BC kept going for two more runs and a 17-13 lead with three outs left to go.

As a wild game such as this almost had to turn out, Wilson/Cradock nearly had the final comeback. With Hodgkiss back in the circle, the first three Wilson/Cradock batters walked.

BC brought Rhoads on to try and get out of the jam. An infield pop-up and a strikeout got the first two outs. Rhoads hit the next batter and a stolen base put the potential tying run on second before BC got the final out.

Madison Rogers, in the second spot of the BC batting order, walked all five times up and scored four times. Burch scored three runs.

Bennett’s Creek faces Western Branch in the next round of the district tournament on Thursday at 6 p.m. The winner between BC and WB will advance with a 2-0 record into the championship game of the double elimination bracket.