Corner softball player Shelby Sanford finished with one of the Yellow Jackets’ four hits on Thursday against Mortimer Jordan. 

CORNER — They gave her a pitch to hit, and my how she swung.

Mortimer Jordan junior Morgan Maze went to the plate in the top-half of the seventh inning and powered the go-ahead run over the center field wall in a Class 5A, Area 11 road win over Corner on Thursday. That solo blast gave the sixth-ranked Blue Devils their first lead of the game at 4-3, as they went on to win by a final of 6-3.

Maze went to the same part of the field for her first home run of the day, another solo shot that evened the game at 3-3 in the fifth frame. She finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate with two home runs and a walk. The Samford pledge now has five home runs on the year.

“She had a great at bat, she fought and I could tell she was determined to put something in play,” said Blue Devils’ head coach Shawn Maze of his daughter’s go-ahead home run.

Following Maze’s seventh-inning bomb, which broke a 3-all tie, center fielder Alyssa Lang pushed an infield single to third. She quickly stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and ran home on a Abigail Crane line into center field. Kiahna James later scored on a throwing error, closing the top-half of the seventh inning with a 6-3 advantage.

Mortimer Jordan right fielder Brooke Nash, an eighth-grader, started the home-half of the seventh with a beautiful grab off the bat of Brantly Bonds. Pitcher Madi Maze then retired the next two batters for a series sweep.

Madi earned the win in her seven innings of work. She fell behind 3-0 through three innings, but worked out of further trouble and went on to retire nine of the last 11 Corner batters she faced. The freshman struck out seven, walked four and allowed only four hits on Thursday.

The Yellow Jackets ran single runs across in the first three innings. Senior Saydee Keith dropped an RBI single into short right field in the first before Kaylee Ellis scored off a throwing error in the second and Chelsea Varden stayed still for a run-scoring walk in the third. Corner led 3-0 going to the fourth inning, but had already left seven runners stranded on base.

“Corner came out and fought and that’s what I expected of them,” said Shawn Maze. “They came out and did a good job of putting the ball in play, we booted it around a little bit, dug ourselves a hole, but our girls responded and had some good at bats toward the end.”

Ellis tossed the first 6 1/3 innings for Corner and handed the ball over with the score deadlocked at 3-3 in the seventh. She allowed seven hits and recorded three strikeouts.

Mortimer Jordan improves to 13-4-1 overall, 2-0 in area play. The Yellow Jackets now sit at 0-2 in area play after losing to Mortimer Jordan twice this week.

Erik Harris is the Sports Editor of The North Jefferson News. Email him at njnsports@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jeharris2.