The Mathews High School jayvee softball team avenged an early season loss on Tuesday, beating the homestanding Essex Trojans in extra innings, 7-6.

Unlike the first meeting of these two teams, this time around the Blue Devils were determined to play their most complete game and came out on top in the end. Allison Foster led the way for the Devils on the mound, pitching a phenomenal game with a very tight defense played behind her.

Catcher Torrie Walton threw three Lady Trojans base runners out at second base trying to steal, saving the Devils defense. In the third inning, Essex took the lead, 5-2, but Mathews continued to put the bat on the ball to move runners around, entering the bottom of the seventh inning with a 6-5 advantage.

However, Essex wasn’t going to go down without a fight and tied the game in their final at-bat, 6-6. In the top of the eighth inning, Foster was on first base when Savanna Wooten hit a triple to give Mathews the 7-6 lead. The Devil defense held...