The Salem High girls pulled out an 8-6 extra inning win over the Titans at Hidden Valley Monday, all but locking up the third seed in the Conference 24 softball tournament. If Salem is third the Spartans would play a home game Saturday against William Fleming at 6 pm.

The Spartans are 8-6 overall after Tuesday’s win, a thriller against a solid opponent. Liz Warren and Haellie Gordon both smacked homers for the Spartans and Salem came through in the clutch to pull out the win.

The Salem girls took an early 5-0 lead in this one and were cruising with Reagan Owens on the mound. However, Hidden Valley rallied to score five in the fifth to tie the game and Salem coach Sarah Beth Walton called on ace Gordon for a relief effort.

“Reagan pitched really well,” said Walton. “The girls are used to playing behind Haellie, but we’re going to need Reagan next year and she’s a good pitcher, too. Hidden Valley is a good hitting team and she shut them out for four innings.”

Both teams scored a run in the top of the sixth, then failed to score in the seventh to send the game into extra frames. Makayla Stovall beat out a bunt to start Salem’s eighth inning rally, and Josie Bruner and Alyssa Akers had RBI hits for an 8-6 lead. Gordon then got the Titans in order in the bottom of the eighth, with Sammi Haga catching a long fly in front of the fence for the final out.

Salem will wrap up the regular season tonight with a home game against Pulaski County.