AUBURN – With the bases loaded and nobody out, Micaela Kelly probably thought it would never come down to her.

The freshman outfielder had two other St. Dom’s batters ahead of her with the opportunity to finish Friday’s stalemate with Sacopee Valley.

After two Michelle Libby strike outs, however, the game was suddenly in Kelly’s hands.

“I was so nervous,” she said. “I did not know what was going to happen.”

The Saints had ample opportunity to break the 2-2 tie during the course of the game. Each time, St. Dom’s failed to muster the needed clutch hit. This time though Kelly didn’t disappoint.

With two outs in the bottom of the 13th inning, Kelly swung around on a Libby offering and blasted it down the third base line, scoring Sarah Caron for a 3-2 victory.

“It was so amazing, getting that hit and getting on first and (first base coach) Mr. (Ron) Levasseur saying You won the game,'” said Kelly.

It was the third meeting between the two rivals and a key victory for the Saints (10-2). The Hawks (11-2) were ranked third in the latest Western C Heal Points while St. Dom’s was sixth. With two wins over the defending state champs, the Saints could jump in the standings and earn a first round bye in the tournament and home field in the quarterfinals.

“It will probably get us to fourth,” said St. Dom’s coach Dan Samson.

The decisive inning began when Caron led off with a single, and Amanda Collette followed with an infield hit off the glove of Libby. Jaime Dorion reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases.

Getting the run across wouldn’t be so easy though. Libby struck out Emily Goss and Abby Gilbert to ease the Hawks closer to an escape, but Kelly came through in the clutch.

“I’m so used to the pitching machine we have that I just swung, and I hit it,” said Kelly.

While Kelly produced the offensive heroics, the Saints were in position to win thanks to a stellar performance by Collette.

The senior allowed three hits and just one over the last nine innings. She struck out 13 and walked just one.

“She was right on,” said Samson. “She was focused. She did what she was supposed to do. This was her game.”

Collette got plenty of defensive support. Ilissa Vallee made a spectacular catch in left, robbing Libby of sure extra bases in the ninth inning. Erica Dorso made a diving catch of a Felicia Libby foul pop, and Laura Robitzek held on to an Elyse White foul despite colliding with Dorion.

Though Sacopee built a 2-0 lead, the Saints managed to tie it in the sixth. Caron had tripled and scored on a Collette ground out in the fourth to make it 2-1. That tandem teamed up again with two outs in the sixth. Caron reached on an error. Then Collette tripled down the rightfield line.

“We knew we gave them the first two runs, but we had to keep on fighting back,” said Samson.

The Hawks had scored on a Libby fielder’s choice in the first. Two errors plated Colleen Donovan in the fourth.

The Saints nearly tied it in the fifth on a Dorso single. A relay from centerfielder Melissa Verrill to Libby and then to catcher Katie Pike nailed Gilbert at the plate. St. Dom’s left seven runners over the last seven innings, including the bases loaded in the eighth and two runners on in the ninth. Kelly made sure the Saints didn’t squander another opportunity.

“I just happened to do it,” she said.