There was a time early Tuesday evening when it looked as though Lehighton was gasping for air against rival Jim Thorpe in their Schuylkill League Division I softball game.

The Olympians were scooting along with a seemingly comfortable lead and looking well on the way to their initial league victory.

But just when it looked like it might suffer a mercy-rule setback, Lehighton caught fire and rallied over the final three innings.

The result was an unlikely 17-7 mercy-rule victory for the Indians.

Thorpe (1-6, 0-4) was the aggressor early, lurching out to a 7-0 lead heading into the home fourth.

Finally, the Indians (4-5, 2-3) came to life.

The rally started innocently enough with a two-run fourth inning.

But it turned into an avalanche of runs as the Tribe dug their spikes in and asserted themselves with 15 runs over the next two innings, sauntering to the 10-run rule, six-inning victory.

The rally that turned everything around came in the fifth as Lehighton sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs to forge into the lead.

It all began when Amy Dwojewski singled and Madyson Bergdahl belted a run- scoring double. Maggie Pagotto then walked before Allison Laible hustled her way on with an infield single. Abbie Miller drilled a two-run double and Addison Chavanic followed with a two-run single to tie the game at 7-7. Erin Mertz capped the big inning with a booming a triple that gave the Indians a 9-7 lead.

“We finally cut down on our errors, and we became much more aggressive at the plate,” said Lehighton coach John Zavecz. “We didn’t come out of the gate the way we needed to, but this was a nice win.”

Leighton’s momentum continued into the sixth as it added eight more runs to bring the curtain down on the contest.

Three walks and an infield hit from Miller got the ball rolling. After a miscue, McKenna Snyder drilled a hit to center, and Bergdahl picked up another RBI. Miller’s second hit of the inning eventually drove in the game-ending run.

“I thought we got out to a pretty good start,” said Jim Thorpe coach Keith Brinker. “We just got a little out of whack, and they took advantage of some things. But I liked the way we played early on. Maybe it will give us some confidence to build on.”

Melina Schwartz keyed Jim Thorpe’s two-run first inning with a triple. Tara McLean added an RBI in the frame. Thorpe went up 4-0 in the third on three Lehighton errors and hits from Hannah Zacharias, Allie Skrimcovsky and Amanda Goodchild. The Olympians then added three more runs in the fourth as Zacharias had a single, Oleksa McAndrew drilled a run-scoring double, and Goodchild picked up an RBI.

SWATTING AWAY

… The Tribe had 14 hits, led by Chavanic and Miller with three each, Liable, Dwojewski, Mertz and Bergdahl all had two hits. Miller had a pair of doubles among her hits, while, Mertz, Chavanic and Dwojewski all tripled. Thorpe was led by Zacharias with three hits, and Goodchild and Skrimcovsky with two hits apiece. Schwartz had a triple, while McAndrew and McLean added doubles.

IN THE CIRCLE

… Craig picked up the win for Lehighton. She went the distance, allowing five earned runs, walking two and striking out six. A pair of pitchers were in the circle for Thorpe. Goodchild started and was relieved by Schwarz in the fifth.

Jim Thorpe 202 300 - 6 10 0

Lehighton 000 278 - 17 14 3

Goodchild, Schwartz (5) and Zacharias; Craig and Scott. W - Craig. L - Goodchild.