ANDALUSIA — Trailing 4-3 in the fifth inning, Othello, Wash. scored six runs and ran away with a 9-6 victory over Franklin, La. Thursday night in the opener of the 2011 Babe Ruth 12U Softball World Series at the Andalusia Sports Complex.

Franklin, the Southwest Champions, took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Othello came back in the top of the second inning scoring three runs on two hits.

Cayleen Garza hit a two-run single to score Kristen Quigley and Mariah DeLeon. Then, Diamond Franco scored on a passed ball to help her team take a 3-2 lead.

Franklin scored two runs in the second inning and regained the lead.

The score remained 4-3 in Franklin’s favor until the fifth inning.

Othello coach Gilbert Franco said in the sixth inning, his team started connecting with the ball.

“We had a couple walks, and we just started hitting the ball,” Franco said. “They did some good bunts.”

When Othello took the outright lead in the fifth inning, Franco said his team’s defense stepped up and held it together.

“We had about five or six errors,” he said. “That’s way too many against a good team like this.

“We had a lot of walks, too. So, if we don’t do that, then we’ll be all right.”

Othello will play Mineral Area, Mo. at 10:30 a.m. on Field No. 1.