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MARTINSBURG -- Central's Bralyn Ellis had been struggling to make contact during some of her recent at-bats.
But the junior catcher bounced back in a big way Monday, slugging a pair of long home runs in consecutive innings and driving in five runs to lead the Lady Dragons to a 10-4 comeback victory over Richland in a first-round District 6 Class 3A girls softball playoff game.
Ellis' two-run homer to right-center field in the fifth inning snapped a 4-4 tie and her three-run blast to left-center in the sixth put the finishing touches on a four-run outburst, as well as Central's 17th win in 21 games.
"I was hitting the ball pretty good, but then I kind of went through a little bit of a slump, so today was actually kind of like a comeback game," said Ellis, who went 3-for-4 and boosted her home run total to six for the season.
Richland, which finished 12-9, collected its first hit off Central pitcher Lacey Lynn to start the fifth, s single to right by losing pitcher Kendal Wadsworth, who advanced to second on a fielding error.
A bases-loaded walk forced in the first run and then Laikyn Roman staked the Rams to a 4-0 lead with a bases-clearing double to right-center.
"When they scored four runs, I thought. 'We better get moving, and we answered right back,'" Central coach Johnathan Burket said. "That's what I have seen from this team this year. They don't give up. They are not afraid to be down."
In the bottom of the fifth, leadoff hitter Ashlyn Renner reached on an error and came around to score on another miscue. Lacey Lynn delivered a three-run double to tie the game and Eliis followed with the first of her two homers to cap a six-run inning.
Lynn, who improved to 9-3 on the mound, buckled down over the final two innings while facing the minimum of six batters. She allowed just five hits, three earned runs and two walks in seven innings while striking out 10.
"Everybody left it out on the field," Lynn said. "We knew if we didn't keep playing hard there would be no tomorrow. I got a little nervous (when we were down 4-0), but I knew I had my teammates to back me up."
Wadsworth scattered 11 hits and fanned 11 batters while walking two in six innings for Richland.
"Lacey had a good game for us on the mound and she had a big hit," Burket said. "I don't want to take anything away from the other girl -- she really pitched well, too.
"But the big difference in the game was our bats. (Bralyn's) two homers made a big difference in the game."
Madison Kennedy, Alexis Fezter, Renner and Ellis scored two runs each for the third-seeded Lady Dragons, who have won four in a row and 10 of their last 11.
Central will travel to Juniata for a second-round playoff game Thursday. The second-seeded Indians (19-2) blanked Penn Cambria 10-0 in their Class 3A opener Monday.
"I think we're ready to go now," Ellis said. "We made it to the second round last year. We lost to Bald Eagle (Area), so we want to go farther this year, and maybe take it all the way."
RICHLAND (4): Ladika 2b 311, Roman rf 201, A. Burke c 300, S. Burke 3b 301, Wadsworth p 311, Wenderoth ss 301, Vuckovich dp 310, Mizla 1b 310, Yost rf 300, Kaufman lf 000. Totals -- 26-4-5.
CENTRAL (10): Kennedy cf 321, Fetzer 1b 422, Lynn p 411, Ellis c 423, Rhodes ss 301, Hazenstab 2b 401, Hoyt 3b 300, Renner lf 321, Kensinger rf 311. Totals -- 31-10-11.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Richland 000 040 3-- 4 5 3
Central 000 064 x-- 10 11 3
E-Wenderoth, Mizla, Roman, Fetzer, Hazenstab, Rhodes. 2B-Roman, Lynn. HR-Ellis (2). RBI-Ladika, Roman 3, Ellis 5, Lynn 3, Fetzer. SB-Mizla, Ramon. CS-S. Burke.
PITCHING
Richland: Wadsworth (L) -- 6 innings, 11 H, 11 K, 2 BB, 10 R, 9 ER, 1WP.
Central: Lynn (W) -- 7 innings, 5 H, 10 K, 2 BB, 4 R, 3 ER.
Umpires: Steve Winterstein, Bill Johnston, Bill Sheehan.
Records: Central (17-4); Richland (12-9).