Western-Star.com

Alex Machen was just trying to keep her team alive. Instead, the Lebanon junior catcher struck the decisive blow in another thrilling chapter of the Lebanon-Greenville softball rivalry.

Machen's two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth lifted the Warriors, ranked No. 10 in the state of Ohio, to a 7-6 win over the No. 3 ranked Green Wave.

"I just wanted to get a hit and put Chelsea (Kaunert) in scoring position so A.J. (Walter) could hit her in," Machen said. "It ended up working out for me."

Indeed.

With Kaunert on first due to a two-out single, Machen fouled off numerous offerings from Greenville pitcher Kyle Gunckle. She then deposited a fastball over the left-center field fence for her second home run of the season.

"It was right there. It was a meat ball," Machen said. "She was having control problems that inning and I expected it to be a little outside but it was right over the plate. I jumped at it, and as soon as I hit it I knew it was out."

Machen's homer capped an unlikely rally by the Warriors, who trailed the defending Division II state champions 6-1 going into the fifth.

Greenville broke open a 1-1 game with five runs in the top of the fifth. Gunckle led the inning off with a home run, and from there the Green Wave took advantage of three Warrior errors to push across five run.

Lebanon quickly responded. With one out, Kaunert walked and Machen singled. Walter doubled home Kaunert to make it 6-2, and Faith Tessmer followed with a smash single up the middle that turned into an inside-the-park home run when the ball took a home-field hop high over Greenville's center fielder's head and rolled to the fence.

That put the Warriors within striking distance at 6-5 and set up Machen's heroics in the bottom of the sixth.

"Alex Machen is an extremely talented hitter, but what is most impressive about her is her competitiveness," Lebanon coach Brian Kindell said. "She hits better in clutch situations. I knew she was going to come through for us."

Bethany Campbell picked up the win in relief of Tessmer, who struck out eight but got poor support as the Warriors committed six errors.

"We didn't help ourselves with those errors, but we were able to overcome it," Kindell said. "This was a big win for us, without a doubt. It wasn't pretty, but it was exciting."

Lebanon improved to 16-1 with the win and returns to action tomorrow at home against Miamisburg.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4526 or shayes@coxohio.com.

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