Cave Spring scored broke a 4-4 tie with a run in the bottom of the ninth for a walk-off win over the Salem softball team Tuesday.

This was a tough loss for the Spartans, who led three different times in the game. Salem led 2-0 after four as Morgan Tennant and Sammi Haga drove in rouns in the top of the fourth, only to have Cave Spring tie the game in the bottom of the fifth.

Haga drove in another run in the top of the sixth for a 3-2 lead, but Cave Spring tied it in the bottom of the inning. Salem then scored on a Haellie Gordon sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh for a 4-3 lead, but again Cave Spring tied it in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

The end finally came in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly. Makayla Stovall made a diving catch in the outfield to save a hit, but couldn’t throw out the runner from third who tagged up and scored.

“It was a tough loss,” said Salem coach Sarah Beth Walton. “Our girls played their hearts out.”

Gordon took the loss on the mound, pitching all nine innings. She struck out six and allowed five hits.

It was the second loss in a row for the Spartans as they fell back to .500 at 7-7. Last Friday at Blacksburg Salem dropped a 6-3 game to the Bruins.

The Spartans will be back in action Friday at Carroll County, and next week they have three games in three days with a trip to Hidden Valley on Tuesday and home games against Lord Botetourt and Pulaski County on Wednesday and Thursday.