Courtney Prentiss rounded second base and thought she caught a glimpse of the third-base coach telling her to slow down.

But anyone who knows the Vicksburg High speedster knows that slowing down is not in her nature.

She rounded third after seeing the throw skip past the catcher and slid under a late tag to give the Missy Gators a 6-5 victory over Florence in eight innings Monday at Bazinsky Park.

&#8220I was gonna score,” said Prentiss, a standout for the Missy Gators’ track team in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dashes as well as the relay team. &#8220When I rounded second, all I saw was the ball going to home. When I got to third, the coach was saying slow down, but I knew I could score because the pitcher wasn’t covering.”

First-year VHS coach Amanda Yocum had no qualms with Prentiss’ running.

&#8220I tell them to be instinctive and she is a very seasoned baserunner,” Yocum said. &#8220She’s a senior and been around here a long time. I trust them. She saw no one covering the plate and took it.”

The winning run was the third scored on Holly Head’s eighth-inning single down the left-field line. In high school fast-pitch softball in extra innings, the player that made the last out in the previous inning takes second base when the new inning begins.

Florence scored two runs in the top of the eighth to take a 5-3 lead. In Vicksburg’s half of the inning, Florence pitcher Katie Dear walked Claire Ray and Prentiss reached first base after Dear dropped a slow line drive. The error loaded the bases for Head, who delivered a shot down the third-base line. Julianna Jones, who was given second to start the inning, and Ray scored easily before Prentiss crossed home plate.

It was the second comeback in as many innings Monday and one Yocum hopes can lead to bigger things.

&#8220I tell them every day that the game is not over until the umpire calls it. They have to believe in themselves,” said Yocum, a former Warren Central assistant now coaching at VHS as a para-professional.

Florence scored two runs in the top of the sixth to break a 1-1 tie. Vicksburg went quietly in the sixth, but Head led off the seventh with a triple and scored on Kaci Flaherty’s base hit. Flaherty then scored on a fielder’s choice to tie the game at 3 and set up the game-winner.

Prentiss, Flaherty and Head each had two hits for the Missy Gators while winning pitcher Kristi Shelby hit a double.

The Missy Gators are scheduled to be at home again on Thursday against Clinton at 6 p.m.

St. Al 12, Cathedral 10

Caitlyn Park had three hits, including a double, two RBIs and scored two runs, as St. Aloysius jumped out to a big lead before holding off a seventh-inning rally by Cathedral.

St. Al led 12-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, then committed several errors that led to six runs by the Lady Wave.

Sarah Franco scored two runs for St. Al (2-3) and also earned the win in the circle by striking out 12 Cathedral hitters. Stephanie Gwin had a double, RBI, and two runs scored, Sara Howington had an RBI triple, and Hannah Barrett singled twice and drove in a run.