Lady Lions suffer first loss of the season

MANILA - Just a week into the softball season and the Manila Lady Lions have already won two games after totaling just four all of last season.

However, their two-game win streak came to an end Thursday when 3A-3 Conference foe Hoxie defeated the host Lady Lions, 12-5.

The game remained close for five innings as Manila (2-1, 1-1) trailed only 5-1. However, Hoxie (3-3, 2-0) scored three in the sixth and four in the seventh to put the game out of reach. The Lady Lions tried to keep it close with four runs in the last two innings.

The Lady Mustangs got on the board first with a run in their first at-bat, but Manila answered when Madison Tune led off with a triple in the bottom of the first.

Tune scored when Jordan LaRose followed with a run-scoring single. Both Tune and LaRose were among four Lady Lions who collected two hits. All in all, the team totaled 11 hits to go along with the five runs.

Jessie Kroeger and Hayden Barajas also had two hits. Barajas slapped a RBI double in the seventh to go along with a single. Shelby Harrison doubled in four plate appearances.

Tune, the pitcher of record, tossed five innings allowing five runs on nine hits, while striking out six and walking three.

Harrison, returning to the circle after missing last season with an injury, relieved in the sixth and surrendered seven runs on nine hits in two innings of work. She fanned three.

Sydney Noblin was 4-for-5 for Hoxie with four runs batted in. Teammate Natalie Brand collected three hits and drove in two runs.

Mia Orrick went the distance for the Lady Mustangs striking out nine.

Manila had won its previous two games by scores of 17-8 over Piggott and 15-4 over conference foe Newport.