Wawasee assistant coach Kenny Gunkel high fives his daughter, Danielle, after she knocked in the go-ahead run in Friday’s win over Manchester. (Photos by Nick Goralczyk)

SYRACUSE —Rally, rally, but the pitcher’s name wasn’t Sally.

The Wawasee softball team flirted with its second loss of the season Friday night but did just enough to pull out their fifth win of the season with a 6-5 victory over visiting Manchester. After a game that had nothing go their way, the Lady Warriors finally created their own opportunity in the bottom of the fifth inning.

“Honestly, I was standing in the batter’s box and I just smiled,” began Wawasee senior Allissa Flores.

Flores, who had made an error the previous inning, stood at the plate with two on, one out and her team facing a 5-1 deficit.

“I told myself to be confident,” Flores continued, “I knew my teammates believed in me, I knew I believed in myself. I just felt a calming feeling.”

That was all before the pitch, it only got better after that.

“I saw the pitch and I couldn’t believe it,” Flores said, wearing a big smile, “that was my pitch.”

Flores launched a three-run blast over the fence to make the score 5-4. The previously silent Wawasee dugout now suddenly had life and the tide had clearly turned. The score stayed the same until the Lady Warriors came up to bat in the bottom of the sixth.

Hannah Haines rounds second before on her way to being the tying run.

Cristina DeLaFuente scored the tying run following an RBI single fro Madie Wilson. Danielle Gunkel played the hero role with a single of her own that broke the tie as Hannah Haines crossed the plate. Meghan Fretz and the Wawasee defense did its job to secure the win in the top of the seventh as they sent the Squires down in order.

“It’s important to win these kind of games,” said Wawasee head coach Jared Knipper. “I told the girls that I’ve been looking for that grit, that relentless pursuit of something more. We haven’t seen it yet, even in some of the close games that we’ve won.

“We’ve not played phenomenal talent, so you kind of get flat and complacent. A good team came and put our back against the wall so it was good to see us show some grit and perseverance and say that, hey, we are the better team.”

Manchester jumped on an early 1-0 lead in the first off an RBI from Cierra Carter. The Squires then tacked on two in the third and one run each in both the fourth and fifth innings. Katelyn Andritsch led the visiting squad with two runs while Emma West had a team-high two RBIs.

Fretz picked up the win for Wawasee after relieving Amber Lemberg in the sixth. Fretz had one strikeout. Lemberg recorded seven strikeouts in her five innings of work. Wilson and Gunkel led Wawasee with two hits each.

Wawasee (5-1) opens up Northern Lakes Conference play Monday by hosting rival Warsaw at 5 p.m.

Cristina DeLaFuente ducks to avoid a ball during her at-bat in the sixth inning.