NEW BERLIN – With both Unadilla Valley and Oxford softball earning a win on Monday night, this set up the Tuesday night showdown of the two Chenango County teams in the second round of the MAC mini Consolation round.

Unadilla Valley would have a big inning late to lift them over the Blackhawks, before having to hold on for the 9-8 win at home.

“It was pretty spread out between us throughout the game, we went back and forth,” said Oxford head coach Heather Pizza.

Oxford would look to continue their early inning success of late when Raigen Ehly hit a single to left field to send Lauren Cobb home for the early 1-0 lead in the first inning.

UV would answer almost immediately in the bottom of the first inning, when Blaize Kolvik knocked a home run in on the day to round the bases and tie the score at 1-1.

The score would remain knotted at 1-1 until the top of the third when once again Ehly for Oxford hit a single to left field, this time sending home Allison Beckwith for the run.

UV would answer again with the tying run, when Sara Nogaret grounded out to second base ultimately sending Blaize Kolvik home for the run.

The game would advance with the same back and forth action for much of the game until the bottom of the fifth inning when UV seemed to finally earn the upper hand.

“UV pulled away in the bottom of the fifth. Kaleigh Farchild had a single with two runners on to put runners in scoring position, then Jackie Smith hit a double to score two of the five to complete the inning,” said UV head coach Hannah Johnson.

Heading into the bottom of the fifth Oxford had claimed the lead at 5-4, after Emilee Eldred knocked home Layla Kriz, however, emerging from the inning UV had put up five runs to take the lead at 9-5.

“The fifth inning we had a few errors, and that gave them the runs,” said Pizza. “UV was chipping away the whole time, we just didn’t string things together as well tonight.”

Oxford would attempt the comeback for the win in the top of the sixth when they posted three runs, drawing the game to 9-8, but could not muster that additional run to send the game into extra innings.