CVFH (3-0) hadn't allowed a run in its previous two games, much less trailed, but found itself down, 4-3, entering the top of the fifth before Ellingford led off with a single, beginning a sequence in which the first five batters reached base en route to a 5-4 lead. When all was said and done, CVFH tallied six hits, was hit by two pitches and drew a walk to take an 11-4 advantage.
"That just brought our spirits up," said Cailen Rodriguez, who went four for five with a pair of runs and a pair of RBI.
While the lead proved insurmountable, CCMH, the District 40 representatives, still kept coming, cutting the lead to 11-7 after its half of the fifth and scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh, as the host team's performance was much improved from its tournament-opening 8-0 loss to CVFH.
"You gotta give them some credit, they came out to play today, they didn't make it easy," said CVFH Coach Will Thayer, who coaches the team along with Tyson Howard and Drummond Schaffer. "It was a struggle."
Still, while Thayer gave District 40 credit, he was also well-aware that his team struggled, making its share of mental errors that included holding a ball in center field and allowing a runner to score or not running on contact with two outs.
"I really wasn't happy," Thayer said. "There wasn't much we did well. We hit well in spots."
As it had all tournament, CVFH drew first blood, taking a 2-0 first-inning lead as Rodriguez singled in Calley Ellingford (three stolen bases, run, RBI) before Rodriguez came around on a Camie Ellingford base hit.
