SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – College of Saint Mary showed some good old-fashioned grit late Friday night to earn a split of its softball doubleheader on the first day of the Defender/ASB Softball Classic at the Dome Tournament hosted by Dordt University.

The Flames (2-4) rallied from a 6-0, first-inning deficit to force extra innings, then came back from deficits of 9-7 and 10-9 in the extra frames to outlast Mayville State (N.D.) University in their second game of the day, which lasted two hours and 40 minutes and ended after 11:30 p.m.

"I'm so proud of our fight,'' CSM Coach Carolyn Todd Bray said. "I'm really happy with the finish. It was a total team effort.''

CSM lost the opener 13-5 in five innings to William Penn University, squandering a 5-0, fourth-inning lead by surrendering nine runs in the bottom of the fourth and four more in the fifth.

In the nightcap, CSM came through with some offensive dramatics in the extra innings to earn the emotional win.

With the international tiebreaker in play, Mayville State (1-9) scored two in the top of the eighth to put the heat on the Flames. However, Megan Garcia's RBI single made it a one-run game, and then down to their final out, Amber Kosmicki smacked an RBI double to center to plate Victoria Placzek with the tying run, and the teams went to the ninth.

Mayville scored once in the top of the ninth, setting the stage for Macy Santoni to be the hero with some clutch hitting and daring baserunning. Santoni looped a soft single to left to score Haley Anderson with the tying run. The throw from the left fielder got away from the catcher for an error, and Santoni didn't settle for one base, racing around second and barely beating the throw to third.

Kayla Reed then hit a soft looper in front of the second baseman, and when the throw went to first, Santoni broke for home and her headfirst slide beat the throw to win the game.

Ella Watts turned in a terrific game in the victory, going 2 for 4 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the fourth to tie the game at 6-6. She also made a remarkable defensive play in the seventh at shortstop, diving headlong to snare Maizie Wolanski's bouncer into the hole and then throwing her out from her knees.

Santoni finished 3 for 5 with a double, while Maycee Hays went 3 for 3 with a double, while Reed drove in two runs and Megan Garcia added two hits.

Garcia allowed only two earned runs in 8.1 innings of relief to pick up the well-earned victory.

"Megan pitched absolutely awesome in relief,'' Bray said.

The nightcap made up for a frustrating opener against William Penn (9-2), when the Flames squandered a big lead.

"We were in the driver's seat, so to lose by the run rule is disheartening,'' Bray said.

Amber Kosmicki led the offense with her first home run as a Flame, a solo shot in the second. She finished 2 for 3 with an RBI, as did Watts and Santoni, who each had doubles.

"I'm happy for Amber, hitting a big bomb for us,'' Bray said.

CSM returns to action in the same tournament Saturday, facing Ottawa (Kan.) University at noon and Dakota State (S.D.) University at 4 p.m.