Pine Creek didn’t empty its sack of marbles in this game, but the Eagles certainly put a majority at stake, and it paid off.

The Eagles used a three-run third inning to defeat Vista Ridge 7-5 on the road and to earn their seventh consecutive victory as the softball postseason looms.

Pine Creek’s win puts the Eagles one game behind Pueblo West in 5A Colorado Springs Metro League standings and, with one game left in the regular season, coach Travis Eberly noted the importance of a “gritty” victory like Pine Creek’s win Wednesday.

“Vista and us, that’s a huge rivalry and … in our last six games we’ve put up a lot of runs and we haven’t had a lot of runs put up against us,” Eberly said. “Having somebody like Vista come out is good because it forces us to get sorted out. I’m happy to have it.”

The Eagles (18-3) started the year 7-0 but a two-game losing streak grounded Pine Creek and the Wolves (14-6) extended that drought with a 10-9 win on their rival’s diamond.

Since that loss to the Wolves, the Eagles built an 11-1 record and outscored their opponents 132-14. During those 12 games, Pine Creek shut out six opponents and never allowed more than three runs.

“To come back from losing a one-run game and getting that under our belts, it’s crucial for us,” Eberly said. “Having that momentum going into Saturday and into regionals is huge for us and it’s important for our young players who haven’t been in these situations before.”

After the second inning, the Eagles led 2-1 and tacked on three runs in the top of the third to build a 5-1 lead. Following Layla Laramie’s RBI single that built a 3-1 lead, Kailani Shideler, who finished with three hits, followed with a triple that sent Laramie home and gave Pine Creek a 4-1 advantage.

“When I’m going up to bat, my focus is my breathing and keeping my mind clear,” Shideler said. “I knew I needed to do my job and my hitters did their job and got me home.”

Brayden Dailey made it 5-1 with an RBI single that provided enough cushion for Shideler to score.

“I wasn’t thinking to hit a bomb, I just knew I needed to get the ball on the ground,” Dailey said. “My nerves don’t usually get shaken up so it was easy to get that hit early in the game.”

The Wolves scored two in the bottom of the third and fourth while the Eagles managed one apiece in both innings and watched Vista Ridge trim their lead to 7-5. But Dailey and the Eagles’ fielders ensured Pine Creek kept the advantage.

After a scoreless top of the sixth, the Eagles needed to tame the Wolves, who had just posted two runs in back-to-back innings. Wolves senior Jaylani Jusino entered the batter’s box with three hits. Dailey saved the Eagles from a fourth.

Jusino hit a line drive high and down the first-base line toward Dailey. The Eagles first baseman – more so out of self-defense – extended her glove to avoid a face shot and saved a would-be double. The ironclad Dailey admitted her nerves wavered on the play.

“I was so scared,” Dailey said through a laugh. “That was hit really hard but I’m glad I caught it.”

The Eagles didn’t allow another hit the remainder of the contest and closed the bottom of the seventh with three consecutive outs.

“They stayed composed and that’s something we’ve been working on all year,” Eberly said. “Sometimes things get wonky, but if you can keep your head on straight and finish the play, we’re good. It doesn’t matter if it’s pretty, all that matters is if it’s an out on the scoreboard.”