Norwalk - The Columbian Varsity Tornadoes staged a thrilling late-inning rally on Tuesday, nearly erasing a five-run deficit before ultimately falling 7-6 in a hard-fought battle. After trailing for much of the afternoon, the Tornadoes' offense found its spark in the final frames, making it a one-run game in the final inning.

The comeback reached its peak in the top of the seventh as the bats came alive in a big way. Emma Blott ignited the scoring with an RBI double, followed immediately by another run-scoring double from Elyssia Aller. Maizie Mellott then provided the biggest highlight of the day, launching a two-run home run to left field to bring the Tornadoes within striking distance.

Columbian’s offense was productive throughout the contest, racking up 10 hits in total. Aller and Mellott led the way with two hits apiece. Mellott also paced the team in runs batted in, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate to complement her efforts in the circle.

On the mound, Mellott pitched the duration for Columbian, striking out six batters and yielding only two earned runs over six innings of work. Despite the narrow loss, the Tornadoes showed great resilience by fighting back from a significant deficit to put the tying run on base in the final frame.

The Tornadoes will look to carry that offensive momentum into their next contest. Columbian is back on the diamond Wednesday for a matchup against Bellevue.