LADY BEARCATS DROP MARATHON GAME TO MANSFIELD

Lady Bearcat pitcher Lexi Franklin threw 145 pitches at the Billy Kiersey Baseball/Softball Complex Tuesday. Her counterpart from Mansfield threw 130 in a game that saw a combined 10 walks and 21 strikeouts.

In the end Mansfield took a 6-2 nonconference decision in the game that lasted over two and a half hours but saw just 13 total hits, with six by the Lady Bearcats.

Layla Byrum had two of those, including one with two down in the bottom of the seventh. Byrum came around to score on a double by Leigh Swint.

The first lady Bearcat run had come in the sixth when Franklin tripled and scored on a passed ball third strike that allowed Presley Walker to reach safely.

Ellie Smith followed with a single to keep the inning alive but the next two Lady Bearcats were retired to end the threat.

Mansfield had built a five run lead by scoring twice in the second and three more in the fifth.

In the second it was a two out walk, the second of the inning, followed by a two singles that did the damage.

In the fifth an error and a walk complicated an inning that had already seen a run and two hits before a walk and a two-run single made it 5-0.

The Lady Tigers added a run in their sixth on a single to left. (Shelbie Myers shown throwing the ball in).

The Lady Bearcats (10-8) will be back in action on Thursday at Greenwood before returning to Conference 3A-4 play at Two Rivers on Friday.