By George Lawther: Special to The Pilot

With a wild 12-11 win over South Stanly Thursday in Robbins, the North Moore girlsÕ softball team captured the Yadkin Valley Conference tournament championship.

In a game that saw the lead change hands three times, it was an impressive rally in the bottom of the seventh that allowed North Moore to add the tournament crown to its regular-season championship. The Mustangs trailed 11-7 and had two outs with the bases loaded when they staged the dramatic comeback.

ÒYou donÕt spot another team 11 runs and expect to win,Ó said Mustang coach Sammy McNeill, Òbut we never gave up, and we pulled it out. It wasnÕt pretty, but weÕll take it.Ó

Kristen Goins relieved starter Bianca Alsobrook in the top of the fifth and ended up getting the win for the Mustangs, now 24-4 heading into the state playoffs. Goins is 3-0 for the year, including two no-hitters.

Jasmine Covington, who had made a fine defensive play in the sixth to keep the Rebels stuck at 11 runs, smacked the game-winning hit in the seventh, but she wasnÕt alone in providing important seventh-inning hits for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs batted around in the seventh, with Covington starting things off with a single to center. She would eventually score on AlsobrookÕs ground-rule double, getting North Moore within four, 11-7. With Shay Scotton, running for Goins, who had reached on an error, and Alsobrook perched on third and second, respectively, Hannah Carriker flied out for the first out of the inning.

Brittany Harper, who had a two-run inside-the-park homer in the second inning, then was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The next Mustang batter struck out, leaving North Moore behind by four with two outs.

Brandi Chandler sparked the Mustang rally with a two-run single to left, scoring Scotton and Alsobrook. Logan Monroe kept the rally rolling with a single to center that scored Harper, getting the Mustangs within one, 11-10. Both Chandler and Monroe advanced on a wild pitch, and then Chandler scored from third on another wild pitch. CovingtonÕs single to center drove in Monroe with the winning run.

North Moore started the game like it wouldnÕt need any late-inning heroics. South Stanly, who earlier this season was the first team to hand the Mustangs a conference defeat in four years, definitely had the MustangsÕ attention.

Thanks to a two-run double by Kristen Goins, scoring Monroe and Megan McNeill, the Mustangs took a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the second, the lead moved to 4-0 as HarperÕs blast down the right-field line resulted in a homer, scoring Carriker and Harper. In the fourth inning, Monroe knocked home Chandler with a single to give the Mustangs a 5-0 lead.

Then a steady drizzle, which would last for the rest of the game, made its appearance and so did the RebelsÕ offense. The drizzle created less than ideal playing conditions, and Alsobrook began to have control problems in the top of the fifth.

With one out in the fifth, the Rebels pushed across two runs and had two runners on when Alsobrook walked three consecutive batters, making the score 5-4 in favor of the Mustangs. Goins came on in relief and walked the first batter she faced as the Rebels tied the game at 5-all.

The rally ended when catcher McNeill picked a runner off first base.

North Moore added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Goins drew a base on balls from Nicole Springer, the RebelsÕ ace. Scotton, pinch-running for Goins, scored on a double to left field by Carriker, and the Mustangs again had the lead after the fifth inning, 6-5.

Once again, the slippery ball led to Goins walking the first two batters she faced in the top of the sixth. Carrie Smith hit a single to center, scoring one run and two more pranced home on an overthrow at third. A single scored another run and two more walks pushed the RebelsÕ lead to 11-6. Then Covington snuffed out the Rebel threat when she turned an unassisted double play at third base to get the Mustangs out of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Goins retired the side in order, setting up the Mustangs dramatic rally in the bottom of the frame.