CREEDMOOR — Washington and South Granville’s regional-championship softball series started off in epic fashion on Wednesday night. The No. 2 Lady Vikings used the long ball to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh and eventually win with a walk-off home run in the 11th frame.

Lady Pack pitcher Hailey Harris had faced just three batters in each of the three extra innings leading into the bottom of the 11th. It looked like she’d make short work of the Lady Vikings again. She induced a groundout and fanned A’Niya Jackson to start the stanza.

Savannah Tilley had other plans when she cranked a solo shot over the fence in left centerfield.

“That home run to right centerfield would have been an out in our place and that last home run would have been an out anywhere in the nation,” head coach Doug Whitehead said, commenting on the short field at South Granville. “But we battled back, down 2-0, came back and tied it then took the lead.

“We had enthusiasm. Hailey Harris did a great job tonight, even though she had a few walks that hurt us a bit. She battled all night long and pitched 11 innings as strong as she did.”

After stranding Style McKissick in scoring position in the top of the first, the No. 2 Lady Vikings were able strike first in the bottom of the first. Tilley scored from third on Hunter Mundy’s single through the right side. McKissick made a great throw from right field to catch Brianne Coleman before she could get to third. The Lady Pack defense ended the threat with a 1-6-3 double play in the next at bat.

The defense continued to keep the game close. South Granville was able to load the bases with no outs in the third, but two foul outs sandwiched between a groundout to shortstop Meghan Moore kept the Lady Vikings from adding onto their lead.

Chrissy McKissick and Moore led off the fourth with consecutive singles. They both found themselves in scoring position thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Jordan Pierce.

As they did throughout much of the game, though, the girls struggled to get key hits against an elite pitcher in Miranda Barker.

As South Granville added another run in the fourth, Washington left four runners in scoring position through the first five innings.

“We were sort of lulled to sleep in the first five or so innings,” Whitehead said. “We talked to them. They acted like we were down 10-0 and it was only 2-0.”

Washington leveled the game in the top of the sixth by using an uncharacteristic small ball approach. With one out, Moore singled to centerfield and Pierce was hit by a pitch. After Jada Lodge’s base hit pushed across Moore, Chaleigh Baynor, running for Pierce, took advantage of an error to score the tying run.

“We were having a tough time against a very good pitcher,” Whitehead said. “She was hard to hit, therefore we tried a few things. We got several base hits, but they weren’t enough. They proved they can be in the ball game and come from behind.”

Harris fanned a pair of Lady Vikings as the hosting side went three up, three down in the bottom half of the sixth.

Washington fed off the defensive momentum and channeled some of its two-out magic that has led to so much success thus far. McKissick, Moore, Pierce, Lodge and Mary B. Dixon notched five straight two-out hits to plate a pair of runs. The Lady Pack nearly added a third run, but Baynor was thrown out at home.

Washington was two outs from a win after Coleman led off the bottom of the seventh with a fly out to center. Mundy drew a walk, setting up Megan White to tie the game at 4-4 with a blast to right field.

Defense took over for both teams in extra innings. Other than Washington sending four to the plate in the top of the 10th, both sides went down 1-2-3 until the decisive 11th.

Wednesday marked Washington’s first loss since getting blanked, 2-0, at North Johnston on May 7. After going all season without losing back-to-back games, the girls face a must-win scenario Friday at home.