Staff photo / Preston Byers. Mineral Ridge’s Savannah Turek reacts following an inning-ending out during Wednesday’s game vs. Campbell at John Knapick Field.

CAMPBELL — Mineral Ridge remained undefeated in Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference (MVAC) play with an 11-9 road win over Campbell on Wednesday.

The Rams held off a furious Campbell comeback in the bottom of the seventh, during which the Red Devils scored six runs, to secure their 14th conference win of the season.

“We came out, mashed the ball like we were supposed to,” Mineral Ridge co-head coach Joe Merolillo said. “Hit really well as a team against a very good pitcher. Ramani [Adams] is a good pitcher. They got a good pitcher-catcher duo, and we went out and did our job. So the at-bats were great, really good. Just need to clean it up in the field a little bit.”

Campbell, playing on its John Knapick Field turf, took an early lead with a MiLeena Williams solo home run. Mineral Ridge then responded with force in the top of the second.

Lily Merolillo led off with a triple to right field and eventually scored on a Sydney Wyllie bunt. Sullivan Sandy then brought home Wyllie with a two-out RBI single before scoring herself on a Campbell error. Laney Rigley scored the fourth and final run of the inning on a dropped pop fly.

“We had a rocky start. We gave up four unearned runs to start, a couple of defensive errors. So that was tough,” Campbell coach Raelene Adams said. “I mean, if we could have that [second] inning back, and get those unearned runs back, then different game.”

Ridge extended its lead to five runs in the top of the fifth inning on back-to-back home runs. Savannah Turek hit one to left field before Lily Merolillo sent the ball over the temporary center-field fence.

The homers continued in the bottom of the inning, when Charlasha Smallwood pulled the Red Devils back within four with a leadoff home run to left field.

“The weather affects it,” Joe Merolillo said of the reason for the numerous home runs Wednesday. “Man, when you get a beautiful day like this, and the girls are swinging hard and ready, hands aren’t hurting and that kind of stuff, they let their hands go, and that’s what happens. The pitching, again, on both sides was really, really good. With the velocity of all three pitchers, to be honest, from our side and theirs, if you make good contact, the ball will sail.”

The teams traded runs in the sixth inning, keeping the difference at four, before the Rams jumped out to an eight-run lead in the top of the seventh.

Maddie Gerberry proved to be the greatest difference-maker, as she scored three with one swing; her three-run homer gave Ridge an 11-3 advantage heading into the final half-inning.

Despite a comeback being improbable, the Red Devils kept fighting.

Adams doubled to right field, driving in the first run of the rally, before MiLeena Williams singled to score another run. Four batters later, Mileesa Williams stepped up to bat with the bases loaded.

Mileesa Williams fouled off the first pitch and swung and missed on the second. On the third pitch, she connected fully and sent the Red Devils in the makeshift dugout into a frenzy. The grand slam immediately shrank Ridge’s lead from six runs to two.

Unfortunately for Campbell, the comeback would end there. A weakly hit ground ball to relief pitcher Turek made for a simple final out of the game.

“I’m crazy proud of them,” Raelene Adams of the Red Devils. “They kept their heads in it. They were confident at the plate. We’ve been stressing to be aggressive at the plate. Don’t take strikes down the middle. They’re really good hitters, so when they don’t get themselves down in the count and they’re aggressive, they have success, and they showed that today.”

With the season nearing a conclusion, Campbell’s sectional final opponent has been determined: the Devils will host Waterloo on Wednesday, May 14.

As for the Rams, they will play Grand Valley at home the same day. However, Ridge is not looking past a potentially milestone victory today.

“We preach to the girls that we want to be playing our best ball at the end of the season. I think we’re doing that,” Mineral Ridge co-head coach Will Sandy said. “We got two wins this week, and obviously, a really big game tomorrow with McDonald, our archrival. They’ve had the league in their hands for, I think, six or seven straight seasons. And if we get a win tomorrow, we can wrap up the MVAC for the first time in 21 years. So we’re excited for that.”

Mineral Ridge’s game at McDonald, which the Rams beat 4-1 in late March, is set for 5 p.m. today.