TURNER — For some teams, a three-run deficit would be enough to dash their hopes.

For the Leavitt softball team, it just means it is time to get to work.

In an early hole Wednesday, the Hornets shrugged off the early deficit and got down to business, tied the game in the third, took the lead in the fourth and took off in the sixth for a convincing 16-5 win over Maranacook.

“We always have the bad inning almost every game,” junior first baseman Kaitlyn DeBlois said. “Most often, it happens in the beginning of the game. Once we get out of that and get evened up, we’ve got a lot more confidence in ourselves and we play better.”

Leavitt pounded out 15 hits and took advantage of six Maranacook errors. The Hornets broke open a 6-5 lead in the sixth with 10 runs on six hits and four errors.

“I was more worried with getting the bats going than our defense,” said junior pitcher Angela Daigle, who pitched the first four innings Wednesday before moving to short. “I just felt like we had a few fumbles. It’s easy to recover from that with three runs because of our hitting.”

Leavitt (11-3) has outscored opponents 123-54 in 14 games this season, but the Hornets are still battling to avoid one of the preliminary games in Western B.

Daigle led the Hornets with three hits, two runs scored and two RBI. DeBlois drove in three with two hits and scored two runs. Ashley Kelley, Maddie Green and Cierra Hilliard each had a pair of hits for the Hornets.

“Once the bats got going, that’s the thing, if we get the bats going, we’re okay, but until then, it’s tough,” Leavitt coach Kevin Leonard said.

Both teams played Tuesday and won. Maranacook was down two starters because of injury. Leavitt was shaky in the field early. The Hornets had an error in the first and then had a pair of miscues in the second that helped Maranacook (5-9) build a 3-0 lead in the second. Two runs scored on errors and the third came off an Amber Ridlon double.

The Hornets tied the game in the third. DeBlois had an RBI single and Daigle scored on an error on the play. Then DeBlois scored on another mistake to tie it 3-3.

“I guess we woke up,” Leonard said. “It was a slow start for a couple innings. Everyone was flat.”

Leavitt took the lead in the fourth when Daigle singled in a run with two outs, but Maranacook tied it in the fifth when Erin Bonenfant singled in a run with two outs.

“We did a pretty good job of settling down and getting our heads in the game,” Daigle said. “I feel like once we get the momentum going, we have no problem keeping it going.”

Leavitt took the lead for good in the fifth. Green singled in a run and Hilliard delivered an RBI triple to make it 6-4. Though Maranacook got one back on a Leavitt error in the sixth, the Hornet broke it wide open in the bottom of the inning.

DeBlois hit her sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot. Abby Robertson drove in a pair while Daigle and Montana Drinkwater each plated runs with hits.

“We had gone through the lineup at least once,” DeBlois said. “So we were more familiar with their pitcher and we opened it up. The first batter got on, and we just picked it up and took it from there.”

kmills@sunjournal.com