SOUTH PARIS – Kristy Jurczak might have thought she’d have a lazy and relaxing day at the softball field Saturday.

The Oxford Hills pitcher had been given the day off from starting duties, leaving her expecting a slightly easier role against Edward Little.

“I thought I was going to come in and maybe play some outfield,” said Jurczak.

Instead, she not only came in to pitch late in the game with her team behind but also capped off a three-run seventh inning to lift the Vikings to a thrilling 7-6 win over the Red Eddies.

“I was just hoping to get a hit and make solid contact and force them to make the plays,” said Jurczak, who earned the win in three innings of work.

Oxford Hills (12-2) had to rally three times before winning the game in its last at bat. The Vikings were down 2-0, 4-2 and 6-4.

“We haven’t been able to keep the energy up the entire game,” said catcher Mindy Rugg, who tied the game in the seventh with a two-run single. “Being able to come back twice is a huge confidence boost to our team. It showed what we’re capable of.”

It was a disappointing loss for EL (9-5). The Red Eddies produced one of their best efforts of the season and were poised to secure a valuable win.

“We talked this week about being mentally tough for the playoffs,” said EL coach Elaine Keene. “We were mentally tough today. They did absolutely everything we asked them to do. They battled back with the bats. Sometimes that’s our weakness. They made the plays in the field. Sometimes that’s our weakness. They did everything we asked them to do. They worked hard, and they deserved that win.”

Despite watching the Vikings erase a 4-2 lead in the sixth when Jurczak tripled in a run and scored on an error, the Red Eddies bounced back in the seventh. The Vikings nearly escaped a bases-loaded jam, but Megan Hussar doubled in a pair with two out for the 6-4 lead.

“They really hit the ball well,” said Oxford Hills coach Cindy Goddard, whose team one-hit EL in a 4-0 win earlier this month. “They bunted well. They did all the things that you want to practice and want to see. It really could have been anyone’s game. They’ve been playing great at the end of the season, and they’ve been in there with everyone.They hit the ball a lot better than the first time we saw them.”

The Vikings’ cause was aided by two errors in the seventh that allowed Jaidyn Rice and Mariah Martin to reach base with one out. After a fielder’s choice out, Rugg came to the plate. She’d been hitless and had struck out in her last at bat. She drilled a liner down the first baseline to score the tying runs.

“I was just praying to hit it,” she said. “I wanted it to go someplace because I hadn’t hit all day. I was excited to hit it.”

Rugg advanced on a wild pitch. After a walk, Jurczak jumped on a full count offering for a sharp grounder that eluded the outstretched glove of shortstop Emily Grund.

“I haven’t gotten much of a chance to hit this year,” said Jurczak. “In practice I’ve been working really hard on hips and hands. I saw it was right down the middle, and I just drove it.”

Megan Gauger started the game and allowed four runs on four hits. Kim Lawrence doubled in a pair in the second. After the Vikings tied it on a Frankie Severance squeeze bunt and Rice RBI single, EL took the lead again in the third. A Hussar fielder’s choice and a Grund squeeze bunt put EL up 4-2.

“I thought I might change the pace,” said Goddard of her pitching move. “They were getting their bunts down. I thought I might do something to change the hitters’ rhythm.”

Jurczak gave up four hits and just two runs in three innings to get the win. EL’s Alyssa Levesque allowed just seven hits and only four in the first six innings.

“Where we are in the standings, fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh, we’re all pretty evenly matched,” said Keene. “A bounce either way in a game like this with two teams so evenly matched is going to make a difference.”