The Booneville Lady Bearcats made quick work of Charleston in the District 3A-4 tournament semifinals Wednesday afternoon, winning 12-0, but would fall 11-1 to Hackett in the finals.
Against Charleston, who the Lady Bearcats have now beaten three times, the game was decided in the first inning as six runs came across.
Ellie Smith reached on a ball deflected by the Charleston pitcher and she scored on a triple by Lexi Franklin, who scored on a throwing error.
That would have been enough as Franklin allowed just three hits and struck out 15 – every out recorded by the Lady Tigers in the five inning game.
But, with two down and two aboard, Farrah Stringer reached on an error and, after a Haylee Taylor single, Makinley Ensey doubled home two and it was 6-0.
Ensey was not finished. In the third she laced a ball to right and circled the bases for an inside the park homerun and an 8-0 lead.
In the fourth it was an extra base parade of deep drives. Franklin tripled, Cam Parish doubled her home. With two down Peighton Montalvo doubled a run home, and after Raelynn Frranlkin was hit by a pitch, Taylor tripled home two to make it 12-0.
In the finals it was Hackett striking in the first, taking a 3-0 lead.
The Lady Bearcats got a run back in the top of the fourth when Lexi Franklin drew a walk, moved to second on a foul fly ball out by Parrish, took third on Kylie Lunsford’s ground out, and scored on a wild pitch while Roni Tillery was working a walk.
Montalvo beat out an infield single to put the tying runs aboard but the Lady Bearcats could do no further damage.
In the bottom of the inning Tillery fielded a bunt popup and turned it into a double play (shown) to keep it a 3-1 game.
However, Hackett would score twice in the fifth, once on an RBI triple and once on an error and it was 5-1.
Singles by Smith and Lexi Franklin, and a walk to Parish loaded the bases in the fifth but again the Lady Bearcats could not draw closer.
Hackett scored three in the fifth and two more in the sixth to end it with the final run scoring on a fly ball that became a double play when a runner did not tag up but the run was counted.
Franklin stuck out six Lady Hornets, and with the 15 from earlier in the day, moved her career total to 985.
Up next for the Lady Bearcats is a trip to Class 6A Fayetteville on Monday before next the Class 3A Region 1 tournament later in the week.
LADY BEARCATS FINISH RUNNER-UP IN DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
