LANGLEY — It ain’t over ’til its over.

That classic sentiment held true Friday for the South Whidbey girls fastpitch team as the Cedarcrest Red Wolves, ahead in the seventh inning by three runs, saw their dream of victory turn into a nightmare as Falcon bats came alive.

South Whidbey won 5-4.

“We came back with the bats, just in time,” said third baseman Kelsie Dorpat.

Cedarcrest scored once in the second inning and twice more in the fourth. Dorpat managed a single and one RBI in the fourth, but Falcon bats generally were silent.

“We just couldn’t generate anything all game,” said Falcon coach Don Wood. “We lost twice earlier in the week (against Sultan and Granite Falls) by close margins.”

Until the top of the seventh.

“Finally, our girls started hitting them up the middle and finding the gaps,” Wood added.

“It started with Alannah [Alber] hitting a deep ball to left field, but Red Wolf Audrey Buckley made a great running catch to get the first out,” Wood said.

“Kelsie [Dorpat] came up and hit a ground ball to the shortstop, who threw the ball high allowing Kelsie to be safe when the player at first base pulled her foot to make the catch.”

Next, Chantal White walked, so Falcon runners were on first and second. Katy Piehler hit a single up the middle that scored Dorpat; the score was now 4-2. Maddie Hamilton hit a ground ball to the pitcher and got thrown out at first, but moved the runners to second and third base.

Senior first baseman Allison Wood then slammed a double through the Red Wolves’ infield gap that scored White and Cassie Levee, who was pinch-running for Piehler.

The score tied at 4-4.

Nikki Parra drew a walk, and South Whidbey had runners at first and second with two outs. Melanie Murphy hit the ball up the middle and Coach Wood waved Allison Wood home, where she beat the throw for the game-winning run.

The Falcons shut down Cedarcrest at the end. Parra threw out a player attempting to steal second, and White caught a fly ball in center field, then threw it to first to get the double play.

“It was a great come-from-behind win,” Wood said. “The girls demonstrated a degree of true grit and tenacity to stay in the game and never give up.

“Katy did a great job pitching, going all seven innings,” the coach added. “She kept their hitters off balance by throwing more change-ups in one game than she did all last year.

“Kelsie also had a good game at the plate by going 2-2. We had a solid defensive performance with no errors,” he said.

Dorpat said her teammates were determined to stay in the game to the end.

“We stayed focused and our hitters came through at the moment the hot bats were needed,” she said. “Everyone on the team was a hero this day.”

South Whidbey is now 4-4 in the Cascade Conference, 4-5 overall, behind undefeated Granite Falls (9-0), Archbishop Murphy (6-2) and Cedarcrest (5-4).

At 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 21, the girls welcome cross-island rivals Coupeville to the softball field.