Seven innings weren't enough.
Neither were eight, nine, 10, 11 or 12.
It took until the 13th inning, and one more big moment from Rilyn Stringfellow, for Verdigris to finally wrestle away a rivalry victory Thursday night.
Stringfellow singled, stole third and scored the go-ahead run on Shay Melson's RBI single before returning to the circle and retiring Oologah in order, sealing the Lady Cardinals' 4-3 District 4A-7 road victory in a 13-inning marathon.
Verdigris [8-1, 5-0] now has sole possession of first place in the district standings.
By the end, Stringfellow had seemingly done a little bit of everything.
She struck out 12 over 13 innings, allowing only 4 hits and 3 runs while walking 5. At the plate, she went 4-for-4 with a home run, scored twice and drove in another run with a sacrifice bunt.
Her solo homer in the sixth gave the Lady Cardinals a 3-2 lead that lasted until the Lady Mustangs forced extra innings in the bottom of the seventh.
Then she helped make sure the next five innings remained scoreless.
Oologah starter Jocelyn Leak was nearly as difficult to solve. She went all 13 innings, striking out 13 and allowing 4 runs on 15 hits with only 1 walk.
Erin Gray added 3 hits for Verdigris, while Hadlee Jefferson, Melson and Connelly Mitchell each had multiple hits. The Lady Cardinals also stole 8 bases.
The Lady Mustangs [10-4, 5-1] countered with 14 steals of its own, but the Lady Cardinals repeatedly found ways to keep that speed from turning into runs.
Verdigris struck first by using its speed in the opening inning.
Gray and Stringfellow hit consecutive singles before both took off on the bases. Gray stole third and then home to put the Lady Cardinals ahead 1-0, while Stringfellow advanced all the way to third during the sequence.
Oologah immediately answered.
Kamryn Crenshaw singled, stole second and moved to third on Brody Pounds' bunt. Jentri Burch then put down another bunt, with Crenshaw scoring on the fielder's choice to tie the game.
Verdigris prevented any further damage with a double play. Leak lined out to Sydney Lewis at second, and Lewis doubled courtesy runner Laney Phillips off first to end the inning.
The Lady Cardinals regained the lead in the third when Gray tripled with one out, and Stringfellow executed a sacrifice bunt to bring her home for a 2-1 advantage.
The Lady Mustangs threatened to answer in the bottom half when Crenshaw singled, stole second and reached third on a groundout. Burch walked and stole second, but Stringfellow struck out Leak to strand both.
Verdigris had a chance to add to its lead in the fourth after Melson singled, stole second and advanced to third on Paisley Martindale's sacrifice bunt. Mitchell followed with a bunt single, but Oologah cut down Melson attempting to score.
The Lady Mustangs finally pulled even in the fifth.
Crenshaw walked and promptly stole second and third. She then scored during Pounds' at-bat on an error at shortstop, tying the game at 2 before Pounds reached on an infield single.
Stringfellow again prevented the inning from growing, eventually striking out Leak with Pounds stranded at second.
She needed only one pitch in her next at-bat to put the Lady Cardinals back in front.
Stringfellow led off the sixth by driving a solo home run to center, restoring a 3-2 advantage.
The lead made it to the bottom of the seventh before Oologah mounted one final regulation rally.
Crenshaw reached on an error in right and advanced all the way to third. Pounds then put down a bunt that allowed Crenshaw to score on a fielder's choice, tying the game at 3-all.
The Lady Mustangs nearly ended it right there.
Pounds stole second before Burch walked. Leak's bunt moved Pounds to third and Burch to second, putting the potential winning run 60 feet away.
Instead, Verdigris escaped when Pounds was picked off at third to send the rivalry game into extra innings.
That began a five-inning staring contest between Stringfellow and Leak.
Oologah again put the winning run at third in the eighth after Keely Jones walked and stole second and third, but the Lady Cardinals caught Jones attempting to steal home to end another threat.
Neither team put a runner in scoring position in the ninth.
Stringfellow singled to begin the 10th but was caught stealing second. The Lady Mustangs then created perhaps its best opportunity of extra innings when Pounds reached on an error, stole second and third with nobody out.
Stringfellow refused to let her score.
She struck out Burch, Leak and Kallie Dougherty consecutively, stranding Pounds at third and extending the game.
The right-hander only got stronger from there.
Stringfellow retired Oologah in order in the 11th and 12th, striking out Emery Edmondson and Pounds along the way.
Finally, Verdigris broke through in the 13th.
Stringfellow led off with her fourth hit, a single to short. Ennis sacrificed her to second, and Stringfellow stole third.
Melson then bounced a single into center, bringing Stringfellow home and giving the Lady Cardinals their fourth lead of the night, 4-3.
Martindale followed with a bunt single, and Mitchell's fly ball advanced both runners, but Leak prevented any insurance runs.
Stringfellow made sure Verdigris didn't need them.
She struck out Burch to begin the bottom of the 13th, induced a groundout from Leak and then fanned Dougherty to finally bring the marathon to an end.
After the Lady Mustangs had tied the game three separate times, Stringfellow retired the final 11 batters she faced.
And 13 innings after the rivalry began, the Lady Cardinals finally had a lead Oologah couldn't answer.
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