That’s exactly what happened to Makenna Alexander during her final at-bat on Monday against Wausau, Wisconsin.

Alexander was set to lay down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner over, but two unsuccessful attempts at putting the ball in play forced her to swing the bat instead. The result was a two-run home run to center field, part of a 3-RBI night for the No. 9 hitter as the Honeybees defeated the Ignite 5-2 at Corbett Field for their third consecutive win and fourth in the last five games.

“I was given the bunt sign and I didn’t do my job and put the bunt down,” Alexander said. “I had to make up for it and just got to help my team the best I can. I try to stay calm and look for the pitch I can hit best and just defend my at-bat.”

Alexander’s long ball broke a stalemate of scoreless innings by both teams that stretched back to the third inning. The Honeybees hadn’t had a baserunner advance past first base during that stretch, but one swing of the bat changed that after Shannon Nelson led off the sixth with a walk.

“That was all part of the strategy,” Minot coach Craig Montvidas joked. “The percentages are telling us to bunt, but she’s been swinging a hot bat lately. She got a good pitch and she’s doing really well.”

Alexander was the lone player on either team to record multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3. The Minot left fielder has provided a spark at the bottom of the Honeybees’ lineup over the past few games as she is 7-for-14 with three home runs, four doubles, eight RBIs and five runs scored in her last five outings.

“It’s just as important as the production of 1,2,3,4 hitters,” Montvidas said. “You try and balance your lineup based on what your team has. I’d like to coach a swiss army knife that can do everything. You want a team that’s fast, a team that has power, pitching, defense. We don’t have that, so we have a couple power hitters. We have a couple players that are very fast and we’re just trying to find the right combination. Sometimes the lineups work. Sometimes they don’t and you have to change them, but when your No. 9 hitter has hit three home runs in the last five games, maybe they’re making mistakes on the other team pitching to her.”

Alexander’s home run capped off the night, but it was the Ignite that opened the scoring, using up all their offensive production in the first inning. Wausau singled in its first two plate appearances and Riley Scheisow scored on a wild pitch. Hannah Trzinski delivered an RBI double to plate Brooklyn Hofer to give the Ignite an early 2-0 lead. Wausau (6-14) wouldn’t record another run or hit the rest of the way.

The Honeybees (11-8) cut the deficit in half in the bottom half of the first. Sydney Farmer scored Trinity Gregg with an RBI single to center field for her only hit of the contest. Minot would take the lead in the second with a pair of runs. After two quick outs to start the inning, the Honeybees put the next five batters on base and chased starting pitcher Maya Rudy after just 1 2/3 innings. Alexander notched her first RBI of the night with a double to drive in Nelson, and Alexander touched home when Carly Cummings singled to center.

It was all defense from there, as Minot navigated around seven walks. The Ignite put the leadoff batter on base via walks in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but couldn’t take advantage.

“I thought we planned really clean,” Alexander said. “We’re improving day by day and I thought our pitchers did a good job of handling their at-bats.”

Montvidas opted to pull starting pitcher Ashleigh Heiderscheit in favor of Jackie Albrecht with two outs in the fifth inning following her fifth walk of the game to put runners on first and second. Albrecht walked the first batter she faced, but got Mia Johnson to ground out with the bases loaded to end the threat.

“I do not have the crystal ball,” Montvidas said. “It’s better to do it one pitch too early than one pitch too late. I tried to let Ashleigh get through that inning and then she got to two balls and no strikes and they’re coming up for the third time. I know what Jackie can do. If I’m too late on the call then I’m having a sleepless night. That was the right moment to make the change and it worked out well.”

Heiderscheit picked up the win, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out three and walking five to improve to 5-3 on the season. It was her first victory since June 19.

Albrecht earned the save in 2 1/3 innings of relief. She didn’t allow a hit and surrendered two walks while striking out two.

Riley Stiles pitched allowed just one hit – Alexander’s home run – in relief of Rudy over the final 4 1/3 innings, and also surrendered four walks.

Minot and Wausau play a doubleheader today at Corbett Field starting at 4:05 p.m. The second game is scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m.