HOMETOWN - Marian's Alex Stroia had never hit a varsity home run.
The junior center fielder didn't see her first clear the fence Thursday afternoon, either.
But she'll never forget it.
Stroia's game-tying, solo shot in the sixth inning ignited a rally that lifted the Fillies over Nativity 3-1 in a Schuylkill League Division III first-place showdown.
Stroia didn't watch her drive to left-center hit off the top of the fence, bounce up and land just beyond the boundary.
"Nooo! I didn't even see it go over,'' she said. "I didn't know it was even near the fence. So I was just running because I thought that's what I had to do. It felt great.''
Locked in a scoreless battle, Nativity (6-2, 4-2 D-III) struck first in the top of the sixth inning when Erin Luckenbill laced an RBI single to right-center.
Marian (8-1, 4-1) wasted no time answering. Held to two hits to that point, the Fillies bunched two extra-base hits, a stolen base and two sacrifice bunts to score all of their runs.
The Golden Girls put runners on first and third with two outs in the seventh, but winning pitcher Bethany Shaud got a groundout to end the game. Shaud struck out eight and walked none.
"You have to hand it to Marian, they played tough,'' Nativity coach Tom Kaledas said. "We were right there. We put the pressure on them, but they came back in the bottom of the sixth with two big hits.''
Nativity stranded seven runners, three at third base. In eight games this season, the Golden Girls have scored just one run four times.
"We have to work on it and bunch some more hits together,'' Kaledas said.
Marian didn't generate a whole lot of offense, either, but the Fillies put the ball in play and executed two bunts in the decisive inning.
Trailing 1-0, Stroia led off the bottom of the sixth. She worked the count full, and on the eighth pitch of the at-bat clubbed her first-ever home run.
"We were down, so it helped the morale and helped us push through and get that win,'' Stroia said.
Lindsay Nemeth followed with her second hit of the day, a sharp double down the left-field line.
Next came the short game. Bryianna Pearson sacrificed and reached safely when Nativity looked to third but had no play.
After Pearson stole second base, Shaud drove in the go-ahead run with a groundout, Pearson taking third on the play.
Back to the bunt. Gabby Cann got the safety squeeze down, and Pearson just beat the return throw home to score and make it 3-1.
"Both teams are fairly even,'' Marian coach Joe DeAngelo said. "We have some nice returning players with some young ones mixed in. We knew it would be close until somebody broke through.
"Alex's home run jump-started us.''
With the win, Marian leapfrogged back into first place in the division, a half-game over Nativity. It also held serve at home, as the Fillies will visit Lawton's Hill on May 7.
"You always want to beat a divisional rival,'' DeAngelo said, "particularly one that you're battling with for first place.''