In their home opener, matched up against the defending conference champs and a team that had beaten them nine consecutive times, the Lady Macks (3-2, 2-0 Western Cloverbelt Conference) were locked in a pitchers' duel with the Crickets (1-5, 1-1 WCC), as both teams backed up their starter with solid defense.
Tied at one after the seventh, the game headed to extras. Fall Creek added a run in their half of the eighth, but McDonell answered in the bottom of the frame before blanking the Crickets and walking it off in the bottom of the 9th, their first win against Fall Creek since 2021.
Freshman right fielder Taylan Hanson delivered the final blow with a walk-off single, one of her two hits on the night. Junior catcher Lizzy Leibrandt crushed a solo shot to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth, and junior pitcher Kelsey Bremness ripped two doubles while striking out 7 and going the distance.
