ELLAVILLE — No amount of fear or pressure could rattle Schley County on Thursday.

The Lady Wildcats rallied from a one-run deficit in the seventh to win 5-4 in extra innings and then pounded Taylor County in Game 2, 8-0, to win their second region championship in three years.

“It’s awesome and feels so good,” said Kayla Womack, one of four starting freshmen on the team. “We’ve been working for it so hard this year and to be able to come out on top and win the way we did the second game, it feels really good.”

Womack made the game-saving play in Game 1. After pinch-hitter Audrey Davis drove in the tying run in the seventh, the Lady Vikings were threatening in the bottom half of the frame.

They had the bases loaded and one out when a line drive was hit to Womack and in turn, she fired to third to get the runner returning to the base for a double play to end the inning.

“I was just telling myself I want it hit to me, hit it to me,” said Womack. “My momentum was already taking me to third, and that was the easiest for me than to have to turn and throw to first. I did surprise myself with it. I wasn’t expecting her to hit a line drive.”

Added coach Brandy Conner: “That just shows the maturity of our freshmen class to step up in that situation.”

Brittany Byrd and Ansley Phillips each had RBI-singles in the eighth, and Stephanie Veatch’s second double of the game gave Schley (22-5) a three-run cushion.

Taylor wasn’t going to go away, however. The Lady Vikings (14-13) plated two runs and had runners on first and second with two outs when the next batter popped out to Byrd at shortstop to win Game 1 in the best-of-three series.

“At first I imagine we were a little nervous, but we were ready,” said Womack. “We knew it was coming down to that (inning), and we had come back before against Shaw, so we knew we could do it.”

That momentum proved to be all the Lady Wildcats would need for the second game. Schley built a 7-0 lead in the second inning and despite two delays — 30 minutes for lightning and another two hours for rain — the Lady Wildcats finished the shutout in five innings.

Bree Franks’ two-run double opened the scoring in the second inning and Veatch’s bases-clearing double gave Schley a 6-0 lead.

“They did a good job after having to battle back in the first game,” said Conner. “They knew they would have to fight the whole time, and they stayed in the ball game the whole time. After the delay, they stayed on their toes.”

Caitlyn Bass struck out 14 in the series and walked three to improve to 16-4 on the year. She allowed nine hits in Game 1 and three in Game 2.

After two regions were combined this year into one, the Lady Wildcats were 16-0 against 2-A opponents.