SARASOTA, FL, November 19—In a pitchers’ duel, the Comets, who came into the day 0-2, took down the undefeated Blue Sox, 5-3 in a hard-fought battle at Ed Smith Stadium.

Tournament rules dictated that each team play each other once, unless there were two 2-0 teams. In the event of a tie, the first tiebreaker was head-to-head matchups. Because even with a win the Comets would finish 1-2 and had lost two head-to-head matchups to the teams immediately in front of them, there was no way for them to become the champs.

The Blue Sox had nothing to lose in a contest that would become emotional late. With a loss, they would remain 2-1, with a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Belles, who had beaten the Peaches earlier in the day.

Comet Remi Schaber and Blue Sox Alana Martinez matched one another through the first four innings, with the Blue Sox scratching runs across in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 2-1 lead. Aislinn Morris’ single in the fourth tied the game and Tamara Holmes’ liner to left plated Ashton Lansdell for the go-ahead run.

In the top of the seventh, the game turned into a nailbiter. The Comets loaded the bases against Martinez before she gave way to Jaida Lee with the Blue Sox clinging to a 2-1 lead. Tess Sawkins hit a sinking liner to right that was initially ruled a trap when Holmes dove for it; the Blue Sox cut down Michelle Miller at the plate to keep their lead. After a brief conversation the umpires determined that Holmes had caught the ball and Miller successfully tagged up to tie the game. Homa Schweers singled to break the tie, and London Studer’s two-run double to right made it 5-2.

In the bottom of the inning, the Blue Sox mounted a rally, scoring a run on a deep fly to left by Holmes, but couldn’t get any closer.

Martinez took the hard-luck loss, while Sawkins got the win for the Comets.