NEELYVILLE -- Neelyville's Emily Eaker lifted her team Monday afternoon, this time with her bat.
Eaker, who usually pitches but played right field because of a sore throwing wrist, got the game-winning hit for Neelyville as the Lady Tigers got a 6-5 walk-off win over Clearwater in extra innings.
"We have been working hard, we started playing really good Saturday at a tournament in Cape Girardeau," Neelyville coach Summer Ray said. "We are doing our job.
"We are getting runners on and moving them over."
Hannah Hart had two hits and two RBIs for Neelyville (6-7) while Ashley Bolt and Maggie Eaker each had two hits.
Darrian Gayle led Clearwater with two RBIs on two hits while Hannah Rowold and Angela Fisher each had two singles.
"I am really proud of the way we scrapped for eight innings and made them earn the win," Clearwater coach Shannon England said. "I don't like digging a 5-2 (deficit) early in the game.
"They scored three in one inning, we can not give up that big of a crooked number in a close game like that."
Maggie Eaker singled to center field to start the bottom of the eighth. Katy Steers followed with a single back through the middle to move courtesy-runner Allison Law to second. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Emily Eaker singled through the right side, allowing Law to score.
"She is really good about putting the ball in play, I knew she was at least going to be able to put it in play," Ray said of Emily Eaker. "She has been hitting the ball really well lately and she was hitting well today."
Clearwater (4-7) was down 5-2 heading into the seventh when it got three runs.
Rowold started the frame with a single and with one out, Leigha McKinney reached on a fielder's choice and an error throwing to second put Rowold at third. Savannah Roach then hit a ball to left field that was misplayed which allowed Rowold to score to make it 5-3.
C.J. Clyburn then grounded out to shortstop to make it 5-4 as McKinney crossed the plate.
"You get runners on base and you give yourself a chance and that is what we did," England said. "We put the ball in play, put it in play on the ground and they had to make the plays.
"We were aggressive trying to move that runner to third and they tried to make that throw over there and it didn't work out for them."
As Roach was trying to take third on the play, the throw from the first baseman got away and Roach was able to score to make it 5-5. Ray said she has been working with her team on keeping their composure.
"We have been struggling with that, we have been getting better and better at it," Ray said. "That is what we have been working on is getting mellowed out for the next play and forgetting (the error)."
Clearwater got on the board in the second. Kiareu Grimes walked and Fisher singled before Gayle hit a double to center field to score two runners to make it 2-0.
Neelyville answered with three in its half of the inning. Hart got a ground out to score Chelsea Petty to make it 2-1 before Bolt singled past the shortstop to score the courtesy runner Law which tied the game at two. Maggie Eaker, who reached base by getting hit earlier in the frame, scored on an error to make it 3-2. Neelyville scored two runs in the fourth to take a three-run edge.
Clearwater stranded nine runners on the day.
"Another one of our problems this year is we will get runners on but we are not getting that big hit with someone on base," England said. "I wasn't pleased with some of our contact today.
"We were out in front of it a little bit."
Maggie Eaker got the win for Neelyville as she had three strikeouts and two earned runs.
"She hits her spots really well," Ray said. "As a freshman, she comes in and works hard.
"She did the job she was supposed to do."
Rowold took the loss for Clearwater as she had three walks and a strikeout.