DAPHNE, Alabama — Daphne Sophomore Meredith Mackin (1-0) earned her first win in a varsity debut Thursday night, but needed help from herself and teammates at the plate to get a 9-7 home win over visiting Baldwin County.

Mackin and BCHS pitcher Summer Barnett both went the distance trading leads in nearly every inning in a seesaw battle of non-area, county rivals that rested for a short while at 7-7 in the bottom of the sixth.

That’s when Peyton Grantham smacked a two-run homer for the Lady Trojans who were trailing 7-5 to start the sixth for the final margin of victory as DHS improved to 3-6. BCHS fell to 6-5 on the loss.

“This is definitely what we needed,” said Daphne coach Lawrence Yelding. “We had good pitching plus we also had 10 hits, when you get base runners on, you make things happen. Baldwin County never gave up. They fought to the end. It was a heavyweight battle tonight, a good softball game. I thought (Mackin) pitched well. It was her varsity debut on the mound. She stepped up. I thought she got stronger too as the game went on. She threw strikes and she hit her spots.”

Lady Tigers first-year coach Kyle Hunter said Barnett did a good job as well but needed one more Tiger rally in the top of the seventh.

“It was a battle,” he said. “From day one out here, we preached to the girls that we want to have a chance to win the ballgame at the end. We were one pitch away from having a chance to win the ballgame tonight and that’s all that you can ask for. They are working hard and have really come on stronger in the last two weeks.”

Mackin struck out two, walked two and gave up eight hits.

Grantham had sent a deep drive near the wall in her fifth-inning at bat and was hoping for another pitch like it in the sixth.

“I think I faced Summer (Barnett) a few times last year but I kind of didn’t remember or know what to expect with her tonight. She moves the ball around pretty well, so I just looked for one I liked. Tried to be patient. I almost got all of that one before, it kind of felt like it. So, I wasn't sure about the last one. I was hoping and it did (go over). That felt good.”

Daphne was also led by Kim Small with an RBI triple, Ashlyn Kimbro with an RBIdouble and a single, Megan Ledbetter with a double and a single, Kaitlyn Blubaugh added a pair of singles and Mackin drove in the margin with her own 2-RBI single. Barnett had run support from Haven Ferrell’s 2-RBI single, Audra Forbes’ RBI single and helped herself with a pair of hits.

The lead changed hands five times before the Trojans 4-run rally in the sixth overcame the Tigers final lead of 7-5.