Lyndonville, VT - Trailing by five runs in the middle of the fourth inning, the Northern Vermont University-Lyndon softball team rallied from behind to defeat Northern Vermont University-Johnson, 8-7, in the first game of Wednesday's scheduled North Atlantic Conference doubleheader.  Game two was called after two innings due to rain and will not be rescheduled.  With the game one win the Hornets move to 3-14 on the season and 3-10 in NAC play.  The Badgers remain winless in 13 conference starts.

The Badgers took advantage of a pair of Hornet errors to score two runs in the top of the first inning without generating a base hit.  With one out, Savannah Dufresne reached on an error.  The next batter, Nicole Mooney, grounded into a fielder's choice, but another Hornet error allowed Dufresne to score and Mooney to advance all the way to third base.  Mia Blackwell then delivered a sacrifice fly to right field to score Mooney.

The Hornets got one run back in the bottom half of the inning.  Victoria Valentine (East Burke, VT) drew a walk leading off and promptly stole second.  Valentine then moved to third on Faith Poirier's (Portsmouth, NH) sacrifice bunted and scored when Saleena Porter (St. Johnsbury, VT) reached on an error.

After an uneventful second inning, Johnson added two more runs in the top of the third.  Dufresne singled to start the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch.  Annika Dyhrberg then beat out an infield hit and Dufresne scored as a result of a throwing error on the play.  Dyhrberg later scored on Blackwell's ground out, extending the Johnson lead to 4-1.

Lyndon again got a run back in their half of the inning.  Valentine walked leading off and again stole second.  She came around to score on Gracie Ducker's (Lyndonville, VT) two-out base hit.

The Badgers plated three more runs in the top of the fourth inning.  Julianna Reed reached on an error, then Mercedes Durden walked.  After Jade Jamieson pinch ran for Durden and Laura Dattilio hit into a fielder's choice, Dufresne laced a double to drive in both runners.  After Mooney's RBI single scored Defresne, Johnson found itelf with a 7-2 lead.

The Hornets came alive with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Marin Fowler (Plainfield, VT) came all the way around and scored on a four-base error.  Dyllynn Burton (Plainfield, VT) followed with a base hit.  Valentine then doubled to score Burton and moved to third on a throwing error.  She came home on a wild pitch, cutting the Badger lead to 7-5 through four innings.

Porter led off the Hornet fifth inning by beating out an infield hit.  Ducker followed with a base hit, and both runners moved up on Emma Moore's (Hillsborough, NH) ground out.  Porter then scored when Cassie Black (Tolland, CT) grounded out.  Ducker then crossed the plate with the tying run when Ashley Hart (Hampton, NH) doubled off the left center field wall.

The teams were still tied at 7-7 going into the bottom half of the seventh inning.  Moore led off the frame with a base hit back up the middle.  Nyah Garner (Birmingham, AL) pinch ran for Moore.  Black and Hart then walked to load the bases.  When Fowler also drew a walk, Garner crossed home plate with the winning run.

Valentine picked up the complete game win for the Hornets.  She struck out eight and allowed no earned runs and five hits.  Mooney also went the distance and was tagged with the loss.

The Hornets will wrap up the season with a four game series against the University of Maine at Farmington this weekend.  The two teams will square off in doubleheaders both Saturday and Sunday at the Skip Pound Softball Complex.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm each day.