LIVE OAK — Suwannee slugger Maci Brown knew it right away.

Brown threw her hands up in celebration immediately after connecting on a walk-off, three-run home run that gave Suwannee a 5-3 victory against West Nassau on Monday. Her second homer of the year finished off the Bulldogs’ comeback and a five-run seventh inning.    

“That was one of the best hits I’ve ever had,” Brown said of the no-doubt homer, the first walk-off home run of her softball career. “Going around the bases, seeing coach Billy (McClelland) and coach Jeff (Smith) so happy and all my teammates — it felt great.”

After getting blanked for the first six innings by Warriors’ ace Skylar Whittey, the Bulldogs’ chances looked bleak heading into the seventh. That changed when SHS put two runners on base to knock Whittey out of the game. 

Suwannee (7-3) scored its first two runs to bring Kirstin Rogers to the plate as the potential winning run. With two outs and the game on the line, Rogers and relief pitcher Ariel McCullough battled in a long at-bat that ended in a 12-pitch walk, allowing Brown the opportunity to hit.     

“They’re never out of the game,” said Smith. “That’s one of the things as coaches we try to teach them — never get down. They’re always in the ballgame because we have enough girls that can hit the ball.”

With runs at a premium early, Suwannee wiggled out of a few jams in the first three innings to keep the game scoreless. WNHS (6-3) loaded the bases in the second inning with no outs, but Brandi Davis retired three straight hitters to stall the Warriors’ threat. Shortstop Savannah Brown’s diving catch was the key defensive play in that inning. She corralled a blooper in the infield off the bat of Kenzie Padgett for the second out.    

“Bases loaded, nobody out and we got out of that inning. That’s a boost,” Smith said. “Almost like getting a couple of runs.”

West Nassau had a runner on third base with one out in the third inning, but failed to score again. The Warriors notched the first runs of the game on a three-run homer from Whittey in the fifth inning. 

Maci Brown and Savannah Brown had two hits apiece for the Bulldogs. Suwannee picked up three of its seven total hits in the final inning.

The Bulldogs return to action tonight against Madison County with a 7 p.m. home game.