In a close game that stretched into extra innings, the Palo Alto High School softball team emerged triumphant after defeating Homestead High School, 5-3, on Wednesday at the Paly softball field.

The game started slowly, but in the second inning, senior first baseman Caroline McDonnell hit a single, sending both senior shortstop Lauren Bucolo and junior center fielder Mariah Phillips home, bringing the score to 2-0.

After three innings with no runs scored by either team, Homestead stepped it up in the sixth inning, scoring three quick runs while Paly only managed to score one, tying the game 3-3.

“We started strong with two early runs,” Paly head coach Tim Anderson said. “We kind of shut it [the game] down offensively and let them get a 3-0 lead. [I have to] give credit to Homestead, they really battled back. They’re a very strong opponent.”

Homestead failed to score during the seventh inning while the Vikings’ second baseman Gracie Marshall hit a double, allowing senior third baseman Kristen Dauler and junior catcher Anna Gale to each score a run and regain the lead.

“I think we started slow,” sophomore first baseman Caitlin Tirador said. “Then we started getting more intense and that’s what won us the game.”

Once again, Paly’s strong defense prevented Homestead from scoring any runs in the eighth inning, ending the game.

“It was a little rough, we had one bad inning which was the sixth. We did a good job of making it up in the eighth inning,” senior pitcher Kelly Jenks said.

According to Tirador, this game turned out the way they expected.

“I think that this game, we went in knowing we beat them before so we went in lazy. In all the games we started slow and kicked up the energy in the end,” Tirador said.

After striking up another victory, the Paly softball team looks ahead with high expectations to the future according to Jenks.

“Hopefully, we’ll do well in League and hopefully beat some of the best teams,” Jenks said.

The Vikings will play their next game against Evergreen Valley at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 19, at the Paly softball field.