Quite a few quality pieces are in place this season for Sandra Day O'Connor's softball team in its effort to repeat as Division I champion.

Several of them stepped forward on Thursday as O'Connor overcame a 5-0 and 7-3 deficits early and finally outlasted Red Mountain, 8-7, in eight innings at O'Connor High. Grace Lyons single with no outs in the bottom of the eighth brought home No. 9 hitter Melissa Krapf, who parachuted a double down the third-base-line to open the inning and set up Lyons

O'Connor improved to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in power-ranking games, accomplishing the come-from-behind victory pretty much a run at a time. O'Connor scored single runs in the fourth through eighth innings to gradually catch the visitors. Red Mountain is 7-2 overall and 1-1 in power-ranking games.

First up in the hero department was senior pitcher Brooke Brown. Brown took over for pitching partner,  junior Emma Vesely, after Red Mountain chased Vesely in the third with a five-run rally. Brown got the last two outs in the third and her teammates responded on offense with three runs to cut the deficit to 5-3.

Brown allowed the only runs she would in her 5 2/3 innings of work in the fourth via a two-run double by Red Mountain's Lyndsay Steverson. That rally was shortened by another hero of the day, sophomore shortsop Lyons. Lyons gunned down a runner at home during Steverson's double with a near-perfect relay to catcher Madison Westmoreland.

Lyons was 2-for-4 at the plate and scored twice in addition. Westmoreland, the starting catcher this season, was 2-for-2 with a homer, double and two RBI.

O'Connor coach Melissa Hobson liked how her team pecked away after the early trauma. She was especially complimentary about her pitchers. They often pitch in tandem,.

"When one's not having a good day, the other one usually comes on will pick us up," Hobson said. "That was the case today. They are both unselfish and pull for the other. I really applaud how they work together."

Red Mountain outhit O'Connor, 12-9, but got only four hits with Brown in the circle. Mountain Lions coach Rich Hamilton credited Brown with the slowdown in the Lions' offense.

"We got to her at first and then she started getting that inside pitch on us," Hamilton said. "We have to do a better job on that. I was pleased though how we played. There are things we have to get better at. We couldn't get that stop we needed. If we do that in the fifth, sixth, or seventh, it's our game. We were in position to win this. It didn't happen at the end."

Steverson led Red Mountain going 3-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI. Sierra Davis and Jean Cothrun added two hits apiece. Freshman pitcher Alayna Hicks was effecitve the first four inniings --save the third --  when she allowed three runs on only one hit. A walk, hit batter, the Lions' only error and a couple wild pitches were the damaging factors.

Hicks left after four innings with a bruised hand. O'Connor got to reliever Mya Davis for a run in each of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings.