Mere inches separated St. Aloysius from keeping its fast-pitch softball playoff bid alive.

West Lincoln, however, made the key plays and dashed the Lady Flashes’ postseason hopes with a 2-0, nine-inning win Wednesday afternoon at Bazinsky Park.

The loss also spoiled a terrific pitching performance from St. Al eighth-grader Sarah Franco, who went all nine innings, striking out 13 and scattering five hits.

Franco nearly won it at the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning. With a runner on third and one out, Franco had a liner that just missed falling for a hit. West Lincoln shortstop Britney Smith made the catch for the second out.

St. Al coach Gene Rogillio then opted to put a play on with Catelyn Park coming to bat.

“We felt our best bet was to put a squeeze on,” Rogillio said.

Park laid down a good bunt. West Lincoln pitcher Heather Huff initially fumbled the ball, but was still able to make a quick toss that just did get Park out at first, ending the at-bat.

“They’ve got the best infield in the division. They showed that again in this game,” Rogillio said. “Catie gets the bunt down and the pitcher fumbles it, but she’s strong enough to recover and make the throw.

“We knew coming in that we had to get the ball into the holes because of their defense.”

Instead, St. Al (12-9, 8-5) was held to three hits and had none after the game went to the international speed-up rule – a runner is put on second base to start each inning – in the eighth.

The win puts West Lincoln (11-4, 10-3) in position for a playoff berth provided they beat Loyd Star Thursday.

“Basically a win against Loyd Star would make it a bit more complicated, but I think we’d be in,” West Lincoln coach Andrew Redd said. “We’re just glad to have been able to get past a team with such a good pitcher in Sarah Franco. She did a very good job for them.

“Not only does she have a good arm, she pitches with a lot of control. You don’t see a young one like her have that much control.”

Franco got out of jam in the eighth by fanning two straight batters with one out and runners on second and third. But in the ninth, the Lady Bears finally cashed in, breaking eight straight innings of scoreless ball.

The ninth began with Holli Smith being placed on second due to the speed-up rule. She was then sacrificed to third. Alicia Kennedy drew a walk, Franco’s only free pass of the game, to put two on.

Lauren Smith then broke the tie, getting a fly ball into center to score Holli Smith for a 1-0 lead. Britney Smith followed with a hit up the middle to plate Kennedy for a 2-0 lead.