Continental’s Gracie Homier struck out 14 Lady Rams hitters, and a game-saving catch by Pirates second baseman Ava Homier saved the Pirates from a last-inning Tinora rally, for a 6-4 win for Continental.

Heading into the game, the Tinora Lady Rams opponents had a combined 16-1 record as they welcomed the 2-1 Pirates.

Tinora’s Madison Spangler got the Lady Rams on the board first with a line drive two-run home run, her third this season, after a Savannah Schroeder double, for an early 2-0 lead after one inning.

Continental struck for two unearned runs in the top of the second to knot the game at 2-2. Kimberly Grant doubled, followed by a hit by pitch to Mallorie Barnhart to start the Pirates’ second. A walk by Tinora starter Carlie Roehrig to Becca Sullivan loaded the bases with no one out. Roehrig retired the next two Pirate hitters before the errors started to mount for the Lady Rams defense. An infield pop turned into an adventure as Maci Dockery reached, allowing two runs to score, tying the game 2-2 in the second.

Continental would take a 4-2 lead with two more unearned runs in the top of the third. After Roehrig retired the first two Continental hitters, the Pirates’ Becca Sullivan would single, then score on another Tinora error on an errant throw, on a fielder’s choice by hitter Mallorie Barnhart, allowing Sullivan and Barnhart to come around and score.

Tinora junior Zoe Billings would strike with her first home run of the season, a solo shot, getting the Lady Rams to within one, 3-2 through four innings.

The Tinora Lady Rams would tie the game in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out Taylor Spangler RBI single, scoring Karli Carpenter, who reached on a two-base error to start the inning.

The game would remain tied at 4-4 until the top of the seventh. Continental, facing Zoe Billings, who relieved Roehrig to start the fourth, had yet to get a hit off Billings in her three innings of work. A dropped third strike allowed leadoff hitter Maci Dockery to reach to start the Pirate rally.

Ava Homier would add a bunt single, and another Tinora throwing error allowed Dockery to score from first, giving the Pirates a 5-4 lead. Holier would score on an RBI single by Gracie Homier, and a 6-4 lead.

The Lady Rams loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh as Karli Carpenter read on an error, followed by a double by Savannah Schroeder. Madison Spangler would single to load the bases with just one out. Freshman Taylor Spangler appeared to have tied the game as she sent a soft liner into shallow right-center field, but Continental’s Ava Homier made a great over-the-shoulder catch to keep the Pirates leading 6-4. Gracie Homier’s 14th strikeout ended the game for the Pirates.

Continental improves to 3-1. The Pirates will travel to Lima on Monday to face Lima Central Catholic.

The Lady Rams fall to 0-5. Tinora will travel to Defiance to take on the Bulldogs.