With runners at second and third and nobody out in the bottom of the sixth the Booneville Lady Bearcats looked prepared to take the game over against Hackett Tuesday at the Billy Kiersey Baseball/Softball Complex.
However the Lady Bearcats were unable to get a runner home and were handed a 2-1 loss to fall to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Conference 3A-4 play.
Lexi Franklin (2-2) stuck out the side in order in the top of the seventh to keep it a one-run game but the Lady Bearcats were unable to put together a rally in their last at bat.
Hackett had led since the top of the third when a walk, double and a two-run single – all before an out was recorded – made it 2-0. Franklin struck out the next hitter, got a pop fly from the next and another of what would be 10 strikeouts to get out of the inning.
The Lady Bearcats got a run back in their fourth when Layla Byrum (2-for-3) singled and moved to second on a bunt by Leigh Swint.
After a walk to Franklin both runners moved up and Roni Tilley bunted with Byrum beating a throw home to make it 2-1 and Franklin moving to third, but a strikeout and ground out stranded both runners aboard.
The next Lady Bearcat base-runner would be Byrum in the sixth. She reached on an error to open the inning and moved to second on a single by Swint (shown) but the successive strikeouts ended the threat.
The Lady Bearcats are scheduled to visit Charleston on Thursday.
LADY BEARCATS COME UP SHORT AGAINST HACKETT
