DEFIANCE (WLIO) — One of the area’s top softball rivalries delivered a postseason classic Wednesday night.

Three-time Putnam County League champion Continental survived Miller City 1-0 in 10 innings during a Division VII district semifinal matchup in Defiance.

The game featured a rematch from May 8, when the Pirates defeated the Wildcats 6-2, but this meeting quickly turned into a pitcher’s duel.

Continental ace Gracie Homier opened the game with back-to-back strikeouts in the first inning before Miller City’s Karlee Gilgenbach answered with a punchout of her own to keep things scoreless through one.

Both pitchers continued to dominate deep into the night. Miller City threatened in the fifth inning when Clara Verhoff ripped a two-out double to the wall in left field, but Homier stranded her there with another strikeout. The Continental standout finished with 15 strikeouts in the shutout effort.

Gilgenbach matched Homier nearly pitch for pitch, piling up eight strikeouts while working 9 2/3 innings for the Wildcats.

Still scoreless in the 10th inning, Continental finally broke through. Leah Seafross singled on the first pitch she saw and later advanced to third with one out.

That brought Maeci Dockery to the plate, needing only a productive at-bat. Dockery lifted a fly ball to left field deep enough for Seafross to tag and score ahead of the throw, giving the Pirates a walk-off 1-0 victory.

Continental advances to Saturday’s district championship game in Kenton, where the Pirates will face the winner of Upper Scioto Valley and Hardin Northern at 1 p.m.

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