The Nansemond River High School softball team used Wednesday’s cross-city showdown to avenge its 2014 Ironclad Conference tournament title game loss to King’s Fork High School.

In Wednesday’s rematch, a late run and strong pitching from junior Lauren Maddrey helped the Lady Warriors achieve a 1-0 home victory.

“The girls did what they were supposed to do,” Nansemond River coach Gabe Rogers, blaming any shortcomings in his team’s performance on himself.

He also gave praise to Lady Bulldogs senior pitcher Sydney Wash.

He was happy his team put a lot of balls in play, holding Wash to only three strikeouts, though he later added, “We didn’t hit it with as much authority as I would have liked to, but again, you’re talking about an upper-level pitcher here.”

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning.

“Morgan (Lowers) hit an inside-the-park home run,” Rogers said, though he added some may have called it an error by the centerfielder.

King’s Fork coach Richard Froemel was part of the group that saw what happened to Lowers’ deep fly ball to left-center as an error.

“It was going to come down to who made a mistake,” Froemel said of the game.

He drew parallels between this game and the one against Great Bridge High School on March 24, which the Lady Bulldogs won 1-0. In that contest, sophomore Mallory Moore hit a ball the centerfielder could not handle, allowing the winning run moments later.

Moore was the one in centerfield on Wednesday, and Froemel said she had the ball Lowers hit in her glove, but when she hit the ground, it came out.

He did not fault his players’ effort, though, as he said, “Again, the girls battled hard.”

They were playing without some of their standout teammates who are injured, a list that includes senior Shaina Holland, sophomore Danielle Arzillo and now, senior Jasmine Holloman, who recently suffered a strained quadriceps muscle.

Froemel moved several of his players to different positions on defense to face the Lady Warriors, who ended up with three hits, two from Lowers and one from junior Jaclyn Mounie.

Froemel said King’s Fork finished with four hits, one apiece from junior Kay’Lee Justice, senior Kirsten Wutcher, freshman Rachel Vick and junior Susan Mounie.

Rogers praised Lauren Maddrey (5-0) for pitching well, even though some of her pitches were not working.

“It just kind of shows the mental toughness that she has,” he said.

She had eight strikeouts, including five in a row stretching from the third to the fourth inning.

Nansemond River (5-0) visited Hickory High School on Thursday, and King’s Fork (2-3) visits Oscar Smith High School today.