AUXVASSE - The North Callaway Ladybirds softball team needed a dramatic rally to shake it out of a sudden slump.
Junior reliever Taylor Wilson's two-run single with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted North Callaway to a 6-5 walkoff victory over Hallsville in a non-conference matchup Wednesday night.
Senior second baseman Karlie Popp started the rally with a one-out, two-run double in the seventh as the Ladybirds overcame a 5-2 deficit. North Callaway - which suffered its first loss of the season at Helias on Monday night and then bowed at EMO foe Clopton on Tuesday night - raised its season record to 9-2.
"That was a good comeback," Ladybirds head coach Brandi Thomsen said. "We have to start playing like we did in the seventh all of the time."
North Callaway went in front with a run in the first, but Hallsville (9-4) answered with single runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth to build a 4-1 advantage. The Ladybirds came up with a run in their half of the sixth and the Lady Indians countered with a run to open the seventh, setting the stage for North Callaway's rally.
Popp and Wilson were both 1-for-4 as the Ladybirds collected 11 hits. Senior Madison Ausfahl - who started on the mound for the Ladybirds and threw five innings - was also 3-for-3 and scored twice.
Wilson (5-0) worked the final two innings in relief of Ausfahl to pick up the victory. Wilson gave up an unearned run on one hit, struck out three and walked none.
North Callaway (8-0-1) won the junior varsity game 10-1.
The Ladybirds bounced back after falling at Clopton in a 2-1 Eastern Missouri Conference loss Tuesday night. The Lady Hawks produced the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a single, a stolen base, a sacrifice and another single.
North Callaway (4-1 EMO) took a 1-0 edge in the top of the fifth on Wilson's RBI double, but Clopton (6-2, 3-1) pulled even with a run in its half of the fifth.
Wilson finished 2-for-3 as the Ladybirds totalled six hits. Madison Ausfahl went 1-for-3 and scored North Callaway's run, while sophomore left fielder Kallie Jo Lehenbauer was 1-for-2 with a sacrifice.
Freshman Mackenzie Ausfahl threw 1 1/3 innings of relief in taking the loss for the Ladybirds. She allowed an earned run on two hits, struck out three and walked none. North Callaway committed four errors.
The Ladybirds travel to EMO rival Montgomery County at 5 p.m. today.