Fatima survived a late Linn rally Tuesday as the Lady Comets held on for a 7-6 victory in a closely contested Osage County matchup at Linn.

“We were able to hang on against a very good hitting Linn team,” said Coach Dan Campbell. “We had a disappointing sixth inning defensively. You can’t give a good team more than three outs per inning, and it almost cost us.”

From the opposite dugout, Coach Jason Dudenhoeffer saw a game in which Linn had chances to change the outcome.

“It was a very hard-fought game on both sides,” said Dudenhoeffer. “We had our opportunities and couldn’t capitalize on them.”

Linn struck first with a run in the bottom of the first inning, but Fatima moved in front with two in the second and added another in the fifth when Rylie Wieberg hit a solo home run.

The Lady Comets stretched the lead to 6-1 with three runs in the sixth before Linn took advantage of Fatima’s defensive struggles and pushed four across in the bottom half to pull within one.

Campbell acknowledged that the extra opportunities nearly proved costly.

“Very fortunate to win that game,” he noted. “We did hit the ball well and execute some things on offense to get seven runs.”

Fatima added what proved to be an important insurance run in the top of the seventh. Linn answered once more in the bottom half but could not push across the tying run.

Fatima finished with 11 hits. Wieberg collected three and drove in two runs, while Maci Wilbers and Marlee Oliver added two RBI apiece. Gracie Atkins and Emma Schwartze each had two hits.

The Lady Comets also stole six bases, including three by Sadie Lehmen.

Linn collected eight hits. Anna Peters went 2-for-2, while Paige Senevey drove in two runs and Heslie Higginbotham added an RBI. Peters, Elli Dudenhoeffer, and Higginbotham each doubled.

Emma Starke worked 3.2 innings for Linn, allowing six hits and three runs, one earned, with two walks and one strikeout. Peters pitched 3.1 innings, allowing five hits and four runs, three earned, while walking one and striking out one.

Wieberg went the distance for Fatima, allowing eight hits and six runs, three earned, with three strikeouts and two walks.

Fatima also won the junior varsity game 5-0, scoring twice in each of the first two innings and once in the third.

Carmen Luebbering drove in two runs with a first-inning single, Kamryn Lee hit a two-run home run in the second, and Kinzie Haller added an RBI double in the third.

Linn was held to two hits, singles by Jade Miller and Starke.

Miller pitched all three innings for Linn, allowing four hits and five runs while walking four and striking out one. Luebbering scattered two hits over three scoreless innings for Fatima, striking out five without issuing a walk.