UNION SPRINGS - There wasn't much doubt in Bob Arliss' mind that Thursday's softball game between Union Springs and Moravia would go down to the wire.

The two teams had met three times going into the Section IV, Class C playoffs, with neither winning by more than two runs.

In the first round of sectionals, it was Kailie Carter's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh that ended the No. 11 Blue Devils' hope of an upset against the No. 6 Wolves. Union Springs won 3-2 will face the winner of No. 14 Delhi and No. 3 T.A.E. next Tuesday.

"I told the girls before the game that this is going to be a one or two-run game, and if we're ahead by one or two runs when it gets late they're going to come back," said Wolves' coach Arliss. "That's exactly what they did. They're tough kids."

Union Springs gave up an RBI single to Angela Potter in the sixth to knot it up at 2-2, but the Wolves came back in the seventh to avoid extra innings.

Abby Cook singled to start the inning and stole second. Jess Kneaskern was walked to bring up Carter. The junior hit a blooper into the outfield and Cook crossed the plate.

"Don't strike out," Carter said when asked what was going through her head.

"I basically went through everything and just remembered to play the game. Just forget everything and play the game smart."

Cook, the winning pitcher, led Union Springs (13-6) with three hits (two doubles). On the mound, she struck out eight batters and scattered five hits; walking no batters.

"They usually hit off of me no matter what I do," Cook said. "They have a couple of great hitters. All that we can do is just get in front of that bring it in and try to get an out."

Moravia (10-11) coach Terry Palmer prepared the Blue Devils for Cook in practice.

"We just keyed in on what she does and practiced against it yesterday off the pitching machine," Palmer said. "The kids did a great job of recognizing where she puts the ball, where her key pitches are. She's got a great change up and that's what got us. Otherwise I thought we did a great job on offense."

Jen Guido, who took the loss for Moravia, gave up eight hits, and struck out two. When the Wolves put the ball in play, the Blue Devil defense was able to back her up and make heads-up plays.

"That's what we've keyed on," Palmer said. "We know we might get five strikeouts a game and we just work the defense. We have a great defensive team. They're alert, they talk to each other and they make great plays like they did."

The Wolves got on the board in the first inning, when Amanda Murray (one hit) got a lead-off walk. Bethany Arliss laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Murray to second, and she moved to third on a Cook double. Jess Kneaskern (one hit) singled to bring her home.

The Blue Devils scored in the fourth, when Angela Potter's triple scored Mandy Hilliard (one hit). The Wolves battled back in the fifth, when Cook scored on a wild pitch after reaching on an error.

Potter (two hits, two RBIs) recorded another RBI in the sixth, when she singled Kathleen Youngs (one hit) home. Brittany Mott reached on an error and Guido (one hit) beat the throw to first to load the bases, but Leah Hilliard struck out to end the rally.

Neither team was able to get anything going in their next at-bats, but Union Springs seemed determined to end the game in the seventh.

"We committed a couple of errors and we just kinda forgot about it," Carter said. "We moved on and played our best."

"I don't think anything changed; we just had a couple girls step up," Arliss said. "Abby has been doing it all year, and for Kailie Carter to come through with that game-winning hit - that was great for her. She played a great game. I think she had one or two hits before that. She's getting better every game. I keep telling them we need some other kids to step up and today it was Kailie Carter."