The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy softball team took on a week that featured a conference game and two contests against public schools and ended up going 2-1 during that stretch.

Lady Saints coach Brittany Wilkins summed up the week when she said, “It started off rough, but I’ll take the end.”

After falling behind 1-0 against visiting Manteo High School on Friday, NSA rallied in the sixth to win 3-1.

“It was really a pitching duel for the first four or five innings,” Wilkins said.

Lady Saints senior Katie Peelen pitched all seven innings, throwing seven strikeouts with 10 fly outs and three ground outs. She had one hit-by-pitch and allowed only two walks and four hits on her way to improving to 5-2 in the circle this year.

“She did a great job of getting ahead with batters, which is something that we’ve struggled with this season,” Wilkins said.

On offense, NSA generated eight hits for the game, scoring all three of their runs in the sixth.

The rally was kick-started by junior Delaney Taylor, who hit a triple to left field. Senior Brooklyne Carr hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Taylor, making it 1-1.

Sophomore Madi Currin singled to center field, and sophomore Madi Wilson singled to left field. Then, sophomore Dani Goodman singled to left field to score Currin, and Peelen singled to left field to score Wilson.

On the day, Carr went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and a run batted in, while Wilson went 2-for-3 with one run scored.

On Thursday, Nansemond-Suffolk returned to conference play and continued its remarkable string of conference blowouts. Following 21-0 and 25-0 wins last week, it defeated host Peninsula Catholic High School 23-0.

“I was very pleased with how Katie pitched,” Wilkins said.

Peelen, who pitched the first three innings, gave up only on walk. Eighth-grader Addy Greene pitched the last two innings of the mercy rule-shortened game.

On Wednesday, the Lady Saints took on host Western Branch High School and lost 13-3. The Bruins have been a force in the Southeastern District this year.

“I knew that it would take our best to beat them, and I thought we did a pretty good job taking care of the ball the first five and a half innings,” Wilkins said. “But that sixth inning, I’m still trying to figure out what happened.”

Despite the lost, there were still some standouts for NSA.

“Brooklyne played her heart out,” Wilkins said. “She was on base, got herself into scoring position — she did her job.”

The coach also praised Currin for hitting a two-run double in the top of the sixth that gave her team a shot, making the score 5-3.

Nansemond-Suffolk (8-4, 3-0) visits Kenston Forest School on Monday.