With their backs against the wall and facing elimination, Carbon jumped out to a big lead early en route to an 11-2 win over Weatherly in the District 18 11-12 Girls Softball tournament Thursday evening at Penn Forest Recreational Park.

Carbon’s win forced a winner-take-all championship contest to be held tonight. Game time is 6 p.m. at the same location.

Carbon, the home team decided by a coin flip, scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning with 10 hitters coming to bat.

With one out, Lydia Steward reached on an error and moved to second on a wild pitch. Sophia Fiourts and Carlee Coner both reached on infield hits to load the bases with no outs. Alexa Becker reached on an error. Adrianna Bowen singled to left to plate two runs. Lindsay Baumgardt drove in two runs with a single.

Following a walk to Lianna Olavarria, two more runs scored on a throwing error that stayed in the field of play.

Weatherly coach Rachel Witner said that her team seemed to lose their energy after Carbon’s first-inning explosion.

“Physical and mental errors deflated us,” she said. “We’ve come from behind before, but we just didn’t play with the same urgency or energy in this game.”

Weatherly managed to plate two runs in the top of the second, which turned out to be all it would score.

Cassidy Witner was hit by a pitch, stole second and was wild-pitched to third base. With two outs, Myah Makowiec walked and stole second. Ivy Clark singled home Witner, and a throwing error sent her all the way to third as Makowiec scored Weatherly’s second run.

Carbon increased its lead to 10-2 in the second. With one out, McKenna Gildner lined a single to center field. Steward followed with a base hit to left. Both runners advance on a wild pitch.

An error plated Gildner, before Confer singled two more runs home.

Carbon pitcher Carlee Confer shut down Weatherly’s offense for the rest of the game, despite working several deep counts and surviving a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning.

“We lost to Weatherly earlier, but Carlee was not here to pitch that game,” said Carbon coach Anna Leigh Conway. “Her confidence got better as the game went on, and she was tough for them to hit.”

The home team scored their 11th run in the third. Baumgardt ran all the way to third on a throwing error, and scored on a fielder’s choice play at the plate when the ball was dropped on a close play.

Confer pitched three scoreless innings to nail down the victory, allowing just two hits from the fourth inning on. For the game, she gave up one earned run on four hits. She struck out 10 and walked four. She also contributed to her cause at the plate with two hits and two RBIs.

“They were hungrier for the win than we were. They wanted it more,” said Witner. “I told our team it’s not over yet. We’re confident it will be a different result tomorrow night.”

Leigh Conway liked the confidence and consistency her team has been playing with lately.

“We won three in a row and we’re having fun, which is what this is all about,” she said. “We worked hard in practice. We were focused defensively and ready for the ball to be hit everywhere.

“This is a great group of kids. They hang out together and have become friends.”

SILENT BATS ... Prior to Thursday’s two runs, Weatherly had scored 40 runs in its three wins.

SUMMER FUN ... The game drew large numbers of fans for both teams, sitting in lawn chairs down both foul lines. The atmosphere was enhanced with grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, while the starting lineups were introduced via a PA microphone.

Weatherly 020 000 - 2 4 4

Carbon 731 00x - 11 7 1

W- Confer. L - Minnick.