A walk-off by senior Cayle John gave the Fayette softball team a come-from-behind victory over Battle High School, 9-8, in the Lady Falcons’ home opener Tuesday night.

Tied 8-8 and facing a 1-0 count with two outs with a runner at first, John drove a fly ball into deep left-center field to score sophomore Paige Vroman from first to secure Fayette’s third-straight win over the Class 5 Spartans over the last three seasons.

After trailing early, Fayette came back from six runs down to tie the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Both teams scored twice in the sixth to keep the score knotted heading into the seventh. After a flyout and a ground out, Fayette pitcher Skylar Sunderland shut the door on the Lady Spartans with a strikeout.

Fayette had a chance to end the game with one run, with the top of the lineup coming to the plate. Following a four-pitch strikeout of Kennedy Vroman, leadoff hitter Vroman drove a ground ball to right field to represent the winning run on base.

Another strikeout tightened the screws for Fayette.

Fayette coach Bri Moore had some advice for her senior power hitter stepping up to the plate.

“I said, ‘Take a deep breath. Get your pitch. She has to pitch it to you. She can’t outthrow you. You work hard, and you know how to hit. Now hit the ball.’ And she did. She trusted herself. That’s a big thing.”

John’s walk-off was her second hit of the day to go for extra bases. She blasted a shot to second that went for three bases to plate Fayette’s first two runs of the game.

“She had some big hits today for us,” Moore said.

The senior left fielder reached base four times while going 2-for-4 on the day, with a team-best three RBI. She also walked and reached on an error.

Fayette trailed 6-0 after two and a half innings. John’s triple cut Battle’s lead to four runs in the bottom of the third. An RBI-single from Hailey Custer made it a three-run game after four innings.

Fayette tied the score at 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth, starting with an RBI-single from Skylar Sunderland. A hit batsman and an error, both with the bases loaded, evened the score.

Battle went back in front by a run in the top of the sixth with a single and a double. Another run scored from third base on a wild pick-off attempt from the Fayette catcher.

Down by two, speedy Fayette center fielder Whitley Sunderland led off the bottom of the sixth with a bunt single. After advancing to third on a Spartans error, she beat the throw home on a sacrifice bunt from junior Leah Thies. A double by pitcher Skylar Sunderland then scored John from third base to tie the game heading into the final inning of regulation.

Fayette’s defense retired the Spartans batters in order to open the door for Fayette’s lineup to produce the winning run. John’s smash to the outfield gap was just what Fayette needed after coming away from the Boonville Tournament with just one win on the Saturday before.

“It was pretty important. This weekend let us get our nerves out because we didn’t have our jamboree. So we were kind of able to get the kinks out and kind of be able to make sure that we can play the best we can today. And I think it really showed,” Moore said.

Fayette pitcher Skylar Sunderland delivered a strong performance for her final career home opener. She allowed just one earned run on six hits with a walk and struck out a game-high nine batters.

“She did great,” Moore said about her senior ace. “She was hitting her spots. She was staying consistent the whole seven innings. She fought hard, and she battled. She didn’t let up when we were tied or ahead. She kept working, which is what I need.”

Despite committing five errors to the Spartans’ three, the Falcons outhit the Spartans 12-6 to stay in the game. John led the team in RBI with three. Skylar Sunderland drove in two runs on three hits in four at-bats. Vroman and Whitley Sunderland each had two hits. Thies, Brooklynn Wies, and Kuster each had one hit.

John had two of the team’s four extra-base hits with a double and a triple. Wies and Skylar Sunderland each doubled.

Kuster drove in two runs. Thies, and Wies each had one RBI.

Senior Finley Polacek surrendered three earned runs on six hits and three walks in three and two-thirds innings pitching for the Spartans with one strikeout. She also led Battle at the plate with a game-high four RBI on 3-for-3 hitting with two doubles and two runs scored.

Fayette’s game tonight (Wednesday) was canceled because Prairie Home did not have enough players to field a team. The Lady Falcons travel to Sturgeon on Thursday before getting another chance against Class 3 Boonville on Monday.

After leading by as much as three runs, Fayette lost 6-5 to the host team in the semifinals of the Boonville Tournament on Saturday.

“We’re looking for some redemption for sure,” Moore said about the opportunity to face the Lady Pirates so soon. “I think we’ll be able to play a lot more aggressively. We’ll know what’s coming. We know how they play. They know how we play. So, it’s definitely going to be competitive, but I’m excited for it.”

Fayette returns home on Tuesday to open conference play against New Bloomfield. It will mark the inaugural contest for both teams, now playing in the newly formed Central State 8.