Minersville’s softball team came into Thursday’s encounter with Marian on a bit of a slide.

It left feeling much better about itself after scoring a run in the top of the eighth to edge the Fillies, 3-2, in a Schuylkill League Division II-III crossover game.

It was only the third win of the season for Minersville, which improved to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the league. Meanwhile, the Fillies (4-2, 2-1) fell for the first time in league play.

The game was all about the gals in the circle as Marian’s Morgan Kelly and Minersville’s Kaycee Raczka both displayed the ability to dominate. Kelly allowed six hits and struck out 10, while issuing just one walk. On the flipside, Raczka flirted with a no-hitter for the better part of the game and allowed just two hits overall.

Raczka - who was perfect through the first four innings - ran into some trouble in the fifth when Danica Karlick lashed a single to right, and Anna Grabosky and DeAnna Pugh both drew walks to load the bases with one out. Undaunted, Raczak reared back and struck out the next two batters to avoid trouble.

“That was really big for us,” said Minersville manager Jamie Kuehn. “We got some great pitching today. Offensively, we were aggressive on the bases, and we hit the ball when we had players in scoring position.”

The game’s first run came in the top of the fourth when Miners’ leadoff batter Keera Brennan hit a slow dribbler down the first base line, and avoided the tag for an infield hit. She promptly stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a perfectly executed safety squeeze by Raczka.

“The small ball game helped us today,” Kuehn said. “We talked about it with our kids and they did the rest.”

Minersville used a similar approach in the top of the fifth. Oliva Kopinetz singled, and quickly stole second and third with no one out. Marian looked like it might escape when Kelly picked up a strikeout, and third baseman Kayla Biever raced in to field a bunt and throw out the batter while holding Kopinetz at third. But Grace Sterner followed with an RBI double to make it 2-0.

“Give them credit, they got the key hits when they had runners in scoring position,” Joe DeAngelo, the veteran Marian skipper, said lauding the opposition. “Yeah, it’s a game of inches. Today, they made a couple big plays.”

But so did the Fillies - late in the game and in the nick-of-time - to force extra inings.

Down to its final at-bat, Marian rallied deftly - and with two outs, nonetheless.

Gracie Sandutch reached first on an error, stole second, and scored on a Pugh single. Marian then tied the game when Anna Grabosky struck out, but reached base when the Miners’ catcher couldn’t pull in the high pitch and threw late to first base as Pugh raced home with the tying run.

The Fillies’ celebration was short-lived, however, as Minersille answered right back to grab a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth. Brennan led off with a single, stole second and scooted home when Raczka sliced a single to right.

Marian then went down silently in its half of the inning.

“That was two good pitchers going at it today, they just had a little bit better execution than we did,” DeAngelo said.

THE CIRCLE … Both pitchers were outstanding. Raczka got the win allowing just two hits. Kelly was superb at times as she threw 99 pitches, 77 for strikes. Raczka’s pitch count was 116 (76 strikes).

LEATHER STOPS … Both sides came up with some great fielding plays. Marian second baseman Pugh, catcher Grabosky and third baseman Biever all made outstanding plays. Miners’ catcher Brooke Kopinetz, third baseman Kieran Plesnarski and centerfielder Brennan all were suberb. Brennan’s play was huge as she tracked down a booming fly ball off the bat of Marian’s Malina Letcher in the eighth.

Minersville 000 110 01 – 3 6 1

Marian 000 000 20 – 2 2 0

Raczka and B. Kopinetz; Kelly and Grabosky. W – Raczka L – Kelly