VERO BEACH —The Okeechobee High School Lady Brahman varsity softball team came back from trailing the Vero Beach Lady Indians to win 10-8 during their game on March 4.

The Lady Brahmans were behind 6-5 after Vero Beach scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth. But Okeechobee’s offense brought out the fireworks in at the top of the seventh inning and scored five runs to take back the lead.

Faith Vest started things off with a bang for Okeechobee in the seventh, hitting a line drive bomb into right field that got her to third base. Madison Hargraves followed that up with hard hit ground ball single that got past the shortstop and brought Vest home to tie the game at 6-6. Laci Prescott then laid down a sacrifice bunt and advanced Hargraves to second base.

Next Jaclyn Pearce hit a little bouncer over the Vero Beach shortstop to reach first base and move Hargraves over to third.

Elle Thomas went right after the shortstop again, hitting the ball directly at her following Pearce. The shortstop couldn’t handle the ball, and Hargraves found her way home to make it 7-6.

Later, Destiny Elliot hit a high fly ball to center field that put her on second base and brought in two more Lady Brahman runs to make the score 9-6.

Lauren Sills hit a short, bounding ball that hopped its way to second base and put runners on the corners for Okeechobee. Lillian Henry brought the final Lady Brahman run in for the night with a infield single that stopped just short of the pitcher’s feet.

Prescott led the Lady Brahmans in RBIs with three followed by Elliot with two. Vest and Hargraves both led Okeechobee in hits on the night with three each.

Seventh-year Lady Brahman softball coach Mary Huff already has already helped guide the program to two district championships in the past three years alone. Last year the Lady Brahmans overcame an 0-7 start to rally and fight their way not only to a district championship but an appearance in the regional final.

After winning the district championship over Martin County last year, Okeechobee pulled off two dramatic extra-inning wins in the regional playoffs against Olympic Heights and Dwyer that made them one of the final eight teams left standing in the region and put them one game away from the state tournament.

In an interview with WOKC’s Ken Keller after the preseason, Huff said that experience of going 0-7 and then having to work their way into the playoffs was a good lesson for the team.

“I told the girls after we lost the first preseason game that this is nothing,” said Huff. “We were a game away from state last year after starting 0-7. It is not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

Okeechobee next plays at home against Fort Pierce Central at 7 p.m. on March 10.