DIXFIELD — Prior to the eighth inning, Madison’s 5-6-7-8-9 hitters were a combined 1-for-15 with a pair of strikeouts.

In the eighth inning, players in those positions turned the tables, producing three hits and a sacrifice. More importantly for the Bulldogs, five players combined to push right fielder and No. 5 hitter Erika Parker across the plate with the winning run as Madison twice rallied from a run down to squeak out a 5-4 victory over Dirigo in an early-season softball contest at Marble Park on Tuesday.

“When we come to Dirigo to play, we always know they have athletes who can play,” Madison coach Al Veneziano said. “The girls realized the urgency of the situation there at the end, they did a real good job of working the count and got the pitches they wanted to hit.”

After a strong start to the game, Madison pitcher Emily McKenney stumbled a bit through the middle innings, but bore down when it mattered the most. In the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, McKenney mowed Dirigo down in order, recording four strikeouts among those nine outs.

“Emily’s a good player, a good athlete, and we knew she could do it,” Veneziano said. “When we got back into it, she picked it back up at the end. She did a great job.”

Parker set the top half of the eighth inning in motion, picking up her second single of the afternoon.

“She’s been hitting well this past week, and we moved her up to fifth in the lineup (Tuesday),” Veneziano said. “She’ll be someone we think can get key hits this year.”

Sierra LeBlanc grounded out to the shortstop, but the throw went to first rather than to second, allowing Parker to advance. Courtney Taylor followed with a bunt that turned into a single after Dirigo’s infield couldn’t decide where to throw the ball, leaving runners at first and second.

“Once we get into the season a bit more, and the girls get more comfortable with those situations, I think you’ll see the hesitation go away,” Dirigo coach Sara Thurston said. “It’s just a matter of getting those repetitions down and getting more comfortable.

Taylor scooted to second without a throw, and Kayla Booker grounded to short, but Tasha DeRoche’s only play was to third base, where the Cougars tagged Taylor out as the run scored. Savanna Kandiko followed with a pinch hit in the ninth position to keep the inning going, but Dirigo pitcher Alyssa Wade registered a strikeout to end the inning.

It looked early on as if Madison might run away and hide. After a quick out, Kirsten Wood reached on a walk and McKenney bashed a home run to deep left-center to put the visiting Bulldogs (2-0) on top by a pair.

But Dirigo’s young squad didn’t fold, even after an six-up, six-down start to the contest. Gretchen Bradbury reached after being hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball. Ward strode to the plate for her second at-bat after a pair of outs, and launched the ball over the left-field fence, bringing the Cougars (0-2) back even.

“To be able to come back like that, and quickly, I think it was a great morale boost for us,” Thurston said.

Ambyr Wilson scored in the fourth to put the host team on top by one. Madison answered with one in the fifth, and Dirigo again countered with another in the bottom of the fifth.

Madison knotted the game at four in the sixth after a double, an error and a fielders’ choice plated Kayla Belanger.