By Craig Orndorff -- Daily Sports Correspondent

QUICKSBURG — It's been a long time coming, but the Stonewall Jackson softball team finally enjoyed the sweet taste of victory.

The Generals used a pair of four-run innings to defeat Buffalo Gap, 8-4, for their first win of the season on Thursday.

Stonewall was winless in its first 13 games and had scored a total of only 20 runs, but Generals coach Michael Hunt remained upbeat about the direction of the team.

"What pleases me most is we've started developing a little consistency," he said. "We played well at Riverheads and at Page County [the previous two games]. I think they were a little uptight tonight, but they settled down and made some key defensive plays. Odessa [Ryan] pitched well and we finally got some key hits."

Entering the fourth inning, the Generals (1-13, 1-4) trailed 3-0 and had hit only one ball out of the infield. But Alex Gibson started the frame with a ringing double to the right field fence. She scored on Ashley Meadows' fielder's choice.

Barbie Harlow scored on a wild pitch, cutting the Gap lead to 3-2. Marcy Beall then tied the game with an RBI single. With two outs, Megan Getz's fly ball was misplayed in sun-drenched left field, and Beall scored to give Stonewall a 4-3 lead.

The Bison (4-8, 1-4) tied the score with an unearned run in the fifth, but the Generals surged ahead in the sixth.

Beall and Kylan Wright drew one-out walks and advanced to scoring positions. Pinch-runner Rosie Bell scored on a Getz grounder, and when the ball got through shortstop Holly Morgan, Wright crossed the plate to put Stonewall back on top, 6-4.

Lindsey Hoover's bunt single set up a sacrifice fly by Kaitlyn O'Donnell. Gibson capped the inning with an RBI single.

"We did some key things that inning," Hunt said. "Those are the things you've got to do in a close ballgame. You've got to put all facets together and we're starting to do that."

Odessa Ryan went the distance for the win, allowing only one earned run while working around 12 hits. Even though the defense behind Ryan committed four errors, it came up with some critical plays.

In the third inning, the Bison got four hits, but scored only one run. With runners at first and third, O'Donnell threw out Morgan attempting to steal second. Lindsay McGuffin singled to score Kim Morris.

Then came an unusual double play. Lauren McCutcheon followed with a double to deep center. Getz missed the cutoff and McGuffin was waved to the plate. Harlow retrieved the wild throw and gunned down McGuffin at home. O'Donnell then threw out McCutcheon at third base to complete the twin-killing.

O'Donnell cut down McCutcheon again in the fifth inning. A two-out single by Hannah Farrish set up a play at the plate. McGuffin scored ahead of the throw, but O'Donnell nailed McCutcheon trying to advance a base.

In the sixth, shortstop Harlow started a double play on a grounder by Megan Morgan.

Gibson led the Generals offense with a double and two singles. Beall added two hits.

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