As expected, two teams that split two games during the regular season took it to the wire in a rubber match in the District 4A-11 softball tournament semifinals Wednesday night.

The Ida Baker Bulldogs gave up two early runs, but came back to claim a 3-2 victory over North Fort Myers at Northwest Softball Complex. The win sends the No. 2-seeded Bulldogs (23-3) into the district championship game Friday night against top-seeded Lemon Bay, which vanquished Riverdale 10-0 in the other semifinal game.

The win also assures the Bulldogs of a berth in the regional playoffs.

The Red Knights (17-8) scored two runs in the first inning courtesy of their first three batters. The first two batters walked and a singled, then scored on Katrissa Rowell’s two-run single. That was all the offense the Knights would get.

“Maddy (Peres) pitched well,” said Red Knights coach Keith Gibson. “We got the jump on her, but couldn’t get any more runs across. We did not threaten after that. Baker executed better than we did.”

Peres (22-2) only allowed one more base hit over the last six innings while striking out three.

Allie Kennedy’s seventh-inning single was North’s only other hit. Amber Plaza hit into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.

Hannah Kelly singled in the fourth to start the Bulldogs’ comeback. Kelly went to second on a passed ball and headed to third on a groundout. Much like the night before against Cape, a throw back across the diamond sailed over the third baseman’s head allowing Kelly to score.

Louie Ross (2-for-3) delivered a run-scoring single in the fifth that tied the game 2-2, completing the comeback.

Peres led off the sixth with a single and pinch-runner Candace Wright was sacrificed to second. Later, Brittany Benvie grounded out to third to drive Wright home with the game-winnign run.

North Ft. Myers200 000 0 – 2 3 2

Ida Baker000 111 x – 3 7 0

W – Peres (22-2). L – Boyden (12-6).

2B – Ross (IB).