The Booneville Lady Bearcats and Baptist Prep Lady Eagles both had two extra base hits in their Class 3 state tournament quarterfinal matchup Friday.
The two by the Lady Bearcats (18-13) figured into runs but Lexi Franklin got around the pair by Baptist Prep and hurled a shutout to get the Lady Bearcats to a tournament semifinal game on Saturday.
The Lady Eagles had two aboard in the top of the first after a two out double but Franklin induced a comebacker for the final out of the inning.
Baptist Prep got a one-out double in the third and used a sacrifice to get the runner to third but Franklin got a popup to Leigh Swint in foul territory to end the inning.
A ground rule double by Swint (shown after the hit) gave the Lady Bearcats a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning. Presley Walker had been hit by a pitch and Ellie Smith had drawn a walk when Swint bounced one out of the park for two bases.
It would up being an unlucky break because Smith could only advance to third and both she and Swint would be stranded.
Baptist Prep loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a single in the fourth but Franklin got a strikeout to end the threat.
In the Lady Bearcat fifth Walker singled and was safe at second on a ground ball by Layla Byrum, and reached third on a throwing error, but a pair of strikeouts ended that threat.
Franklin led off the Lady Bearcat sixth with a triple and came home on a Roni Tillery single for an insurance run and a 2-0 edge.
Baptist Prep, who scored seven times in their final at bat in a first round win, had the tying runs aboard on an error and a single in the seventh but Franklin got three ground ball outs, one with resulting in a fielder's choice out recorded at home, to close it out.
PITCHER'S DUEL GOES TO FRANKLIN, LADY BEARCATS MOVE ON TO STATE SEMIFINALS
