By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

RESERVE — Phoenix spoiled two chances on Wednesday for Reserve Christian to salt away a berth in the Class C state softball playoffs. But the Eagles broke through on their third chance — one they didn’t know they had.

The Lady Eagles fell 14-13 and 10-9 in two doubleheader games against Phoenix in Reserve, at the time putting in doubt RCS’ status as a playoff team.

But thanks to a second-place district tiebreaker, the Eagles are improbably on their way to the postseason for the first time in school history (see “Eagles embark on final flight” story for details).

Reserve (4-8, 2-4) led in the fifth and final inning of both games, but dual Phoenix rallies earned the Lady Spartans their first victories of the season.

“It’s pretty upsetting,” said senior pitcher Amanda Watson. “A win (in our final home game) would have meant a lot. We played well, but we could have played better.”

The Eagles took early control of the first game thanks to a seven-run first inning. With the bases loaded, Watson blasted a bases-clearing double to right field to erase a 2-0 Phoenix lead and put RCS ahead 3-2. Two batters later, Marcie Blanchard’s two-run triple put the Eagles ahead 5-2. She would later score on an error, and a RBI single by Daysha Blount gave the Eagles a 7-2 lead.

By the third inning, Phoenix closed the gap to 8-7 when the Spartans’ Ashala Picquet and Deiere Demolle scored on an error.

That score held until the fifth. Pearly, Ariel Gibbs and Emily Durapau each drove in runs to push the Reserve lead to four, 11-7.

Phoenix answered with a seven-run inning of their own, capped by two-run single by Jackee Bienemy and an RBI groundout by Picquet. Phoenix led 14-11.

Watson’s double in the bottom half scored two, but RCS couldn’t scratch another across.

“I think they were deflated. No doubt,” said RCS coach Michael Reeves.

Phoenix took advantage and went ahead 6-2 in the second game. The Eagles answered in the fourth inning, taking advantage of a number of Spartan mistakes and running wild on the bases to put up the day’s third seven-run inning, giving RCS a 9-6 lead.

But it wouldn’t last. After scoring two in the bottom of the fourth — Phoenix was officially the “home” team — and holding RCS scoreless in the fifth, the Spartans loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. After a walk brought home a run to tie the game, RCS got the inning’s second out on a force out at home. But Toshika Sylvester, the team’s cleanup hitter, launched a bomb into deep center to bring home the winning run.

It was to be the last memory in Reserve’s softball history.

Or so everyone thought.

“(The games) were really exciting. I really would have wanted to go to the playoffs, but we’ve had a lot of fun on this team,” said Reserve’s Trenesha Pearly.

“I love softball. I’ve played it all my life,” added teammate Kayla Bonkart.

She and her teammates now get one more chance to play together.