Andrew Grimm AROUND THIRD — Madonna's Tyler Dillon races around third past head coach TJ Miller to score a run against Clarksburg Notre Dame in regional action.

The Blue Dons overcame a slow start Wednesday evening and stormed away from Clarksburg Notre Dame with a big inning late, staying alive with a 10-5 victory in a Class A Region 1 tournament elimination game.

After falling behind 2-0, 3-1 and 4-3, Madonna exploded with seven runs in the sixth.

“It’s one day at a time, one game at a time,” Madonna head coach TJ Miller said. “That’s our motto right now. We started off a little slow, gave up a few runs early then late in the game we got their pitcher deep in the pitch count and started capitalizing on some mistakes. We put up a big inning and were aggressive on the bases.”

With the victory, Madonna stays alive and earned another shot at top seed Cameron today. The Dons will need to beat the Dragons twice to advance to the state tournament. Madonna dropped a close 6-5 battle with Cameron earlier in the double elimination tournament.

Andrew Grimm READY — Madonna catcher Jacob Lazear looks to haul in the ball to make a play at the plate.

“We live to see Cameron again,” Miller said. “We’ll regroup, re-hydrate and be ready to get back after it. I have a lot of respect for coach (Adam) Angel and his team. We did not put seven innings together the first time we played last week, against a team like Cameron we have to play all seven.

“I told these guys the energy has to be high and they have to be ready to go off the bus (today).”

After falling behind by two runs early, Madonna battled back with two runs in the fifth inning. Jacob Lazear hit a one-out RBI single to get the Dons within a run, then Evan Kaczmarek hit a sac fly to knot the score.

Notre Dame (5-14), however, got the lead back in the top of the sixth, scoring a run on an error as Madonna attempted to turn an inning-ending double play.

Undeterred by falling behind again, the Dons got right back at it with the bats in the bottom half.

Andrew Grimm ON THE MOUND — Madonna's Evan Kaczmarek fires in releif on Wednesday.

Luke Wingett tied the game with an RBI single, Maddox Bowen put Madonna in the lead for the first time with an RBI single, then Lazear ripped a triple to right field to clear the bases and then scored on Kaczmarek’s two-run double to make it 10-4 Madonna, all before the Irish recorded an out.

“These guys didn’t quit, changed their approaches and were able to get guys on base and get them in,” Miller said.

Lazear finished with three hits, including a triple and double, and five RBIs. Sam Brooks had three hits as well.

Connor Lancaster fired the first five innings for the Dons, striking out seven. Kaczmarek got the win in relief, firing 1 1/3 innings and Reno Fuscardo fired the final 2/3 of an inning to close things out.

After multiple days of rain outs in the tournament, the game was played at Oak Glen on the turf.

Andrew Grimm HEADED HOME — Madonna's Reno Fuscardo makes the turn at third to score.

“It was great to get back on the field,” Miller said. “We had some hitting sessions and worked on some fielding stuff (indoors) but there’s no substitute for being on the field.

“We very, very thankful for head principal here at Oak Glen Mr. Frank Crain and athletic director Julie Zoellers and the superintended Mr. Walt Saunders for letting us get on the field today. We’re extremely grateful.”

WVSSAC Baseball Tournament

Class A Region 1 Bracket 1 elimination game

At Oak Glen Fields of Dreams Complex

No. 4 Madonna 10, No. 8 Clarkburg Notre Dame 5

CND 2-1-0 0-0-1 1 — 5 8 2

M 1-0-0 0-2-7 x — 10 11 4

NOTRE DAME (5-14): Morgan (LP, 9R, 7ER, 10H, 5K, 2BB), Garneck (1IP, 1R, 1ER, 1H, 0K, 3BB) and Conrad. Minnocci 2S; Strout S; Conrad S; Garnek S, RBI; King S, 2RBIs; McIntyre S; Nutter S.

MADONNA (14-13): Lancaster (5IP, 3R, 2ER, 6H, 7K, 3BB), Kaczmarek (WP, 1 1/3IP, 2R, 1ER, 1H, 1K, 1BB), Fuscardo (2/3IP, 0R, 1H, 1K, 0BB) and Lazear, and Lancaster. Fuscardo D; Bowen S, RBI; Lazear T, D, S, 5RBIs; Brooks 3S; Kaczmarek D, 3RBIs; Dillon S; Wingett S, RBI.