GOOSE LAKE — Senior Night was extra special for the three members of the class on the Northeast High School softball team.

The ceremony between games of a doubleheader against visiting Lisbon came moments after the Rebels won the first game 15-6 to earn a guarantee themselves at least a share of the Big East Conference title. It was the completion of a long road for the Rebels, a transition from the other end of the standings.

“We went from second-to-last as eighth-graders; this was good for us,” senior first baseman Carlie Dever said.

Lisbon wound up claiming a share of the title after it rallied to win the second game 4-3. Both teams finished with 12-2 records in conference play.

“I’m very thankful for the split,” Lisbon coach Bob Bunting said.

“It was disappointing,” senior second baseman Sammi Farrell said of the second-game loss. “We wanted to take it, not tie, but it was good because no one expected us to take it.”

The Rebels (22-10) made a statement right away that they meant business.

They jumped in front 6-0 in the bottom of the first inning. They had to endure a Lisbon comeback that cut the deficit to one run, then put an exclamation point on the championship with a seven-run sixth inning.

“The girls were pumped up for our opportunity to win our first conference title since 2002,” coach Travis Eversmeyer said. “This team won every first game (of doubleheaders).”

Even he didn’t expect a six-run cushion right away, though.

“As a coach, you tell the girls don’t relax,” he said. “I was welling up and happy over there (in the coaching box as each run scored).”

Aleenah Marcucci, an eighth-grader, got things going for Northeast as she led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single.

“I think sometimes when people at the top of the order hit, it gets people going,” she said.

Morgan McAleer followed with another bunt single, and Marcucci raced all the way to third as Lisbon tried to get the out at first base. McAleer stole second, then Dever knocked in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly to left field.

After Farrell walked, Lisbon pitcher Ali Givens threw a wild pitch that allowed McAleer to score from third. Farrell, who was trying to steal on the play, made it all the way to third. A popout and a hit batter put runners on the corners for senior third baseman Brooke Puckett, who delivered an RBI single. Catcher Baylie Parson added another RBI single, and Addie Oberman hit n RBI double.

Almost before the Lions knew what hit them, they trailed 6-0.

Northeast pitcher Maddison Daniels said working with the sizable lead was huge.

“I think it was really big,” she said. “It takes a lot of pressure off all of us.”

Lisbon made things interesting when it scored a pair of runs in the top of the third, but a defensive play by Puckett made sure the momentum didn’t swing to the Lions.

Lisbon opened the inning with singles by Alexa Moothart and McKenna Kilburg, then Zeva Light doubled to drive in a run. Kilburg scored on a groundout, with Light taking third.

Then Puckett made a backhand stop on Brittany Frey’s bouncer and threw out Light at home plate.

“For me, I was just making another out and save another run,” Puckett said. “When I looked at the scoreboard, it made it bigger.”

Eversmeyer definitely grasped the importance.

“That was a big play,” he said. “We pulled her off the line because she goes so well to her backhand. That did swing the momentum back to our favor.”

Northeast pushed its lead to 7-2 in the fourth, then almost saw it disappear in the fifth when Lisbon scored four runs, helped by four Northeast errors.

But the Rebels locked up the win when they exploded for seven runs in the sixth.

The Rebels appeared to be in good shape for a sweep after scoring twice in the top of the first inning in Game 2.

They still led 2-1 when Lisbon came to bat in the bottom of the sixth, but the lead crumbled.

Helped by three errors, Lisbon scored three runs. The first two batters reached on errors, then Frey hit a sacrifice fly and Cassie Smith and Paige Felderman followed with run-scoring singles.

The Rebels got one run back in the top of the seventh on a wild pitch but left runners stranded on second and third as the game ended.

NORTHEAST 15, LISBON 6

Lisbon    002    040    0    —    6    11    4

Northeast    600    117    x    —    15    17    4

Ali Givens and Kelsi Griffiths; Maddison Daniels and Baylie Parson. Multiple hits — Lisbon (McKenna Kilburg 2, Givens 3, Alexa Moothart 2); Northeast (Aleenah Marcucci 3, Morgan McAleer 3, Emily Frnaks 2, Brooke Puckett 3, Addie Oberman 3). 2B — Northeast (Franks 2, Brittany Stoll, Oberman). RBIs — Lisbon (Zeva Light, Givens); Northeast (Macrucci, McAleer, Carlie Dever 2, Franks, Stoll, Puckett 2, Parson, Oberman 2).

LISBON 4, NORTHEAST 3

Northeast    200    000    1    —    3    12    3

Lisbon    000    013    x    —    4    5    0

Daniels and Parson; Kilburg and Griffiths. Multiple hits — Northeast (Marcucci 2, Sammi Farrell 2, Franks 3); Lisbon (Smith 2).