Five runs in their final two at bats helped the Durant Lady Lions build a lead and they held on for a 9-8 win over McAlester in the lone home softball game during a busy opening week.
The district victory proved to be the Lady Lions’ lone triumph as they suffered six losses in the tough Pryor Festival and Broken Arrow Tournament.
Coach Jimmie Wyrick’s club got off to a strong start, plating three runs right out of the box as Anslee Morse opened the first inning with a triple and scored moments later on a Kaitlen Rush single. They picked up two more tallies following McAlester errors.
Durant answered a Lady Buff run in the fourth with a RBI double by Rush to maintain a three-run advantage. McAlester however notched three of its own in the fifth stanza to knot the score at 4-4.
The Lady Lions responded in kind with a pair in the bottom of the frame along with three more tallies in the sixth inning to add to the cushion.
Emma Sherrer helped her cause with a run-scoring double and Alli Pratt chipped in a single in the fifth to knock in another. Korbyn Robinson and Brynn Ritenour singled to key the sixth inning surge along with a RBI double from Dasia Lewis.
Durant held on for its life in the final inning as McAlester posted four runs and had the tying run in scoring position before Sherrer tossed a game-ending strikeout to finish the complete game triumph. She allowed just two earned runs, scattering eight hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
Rush and Sherrer led the offense with two hits and drove in a pair apiece. Morse, Robinson, Ritenour, Lewis and Pratt all tossed in one hit.
The rugged early slate for the Lady Lions included tough losses to powerhouses Carl Albert, Pocola, Westmoore and Owasso with a couple of narrow setbacks as well.
Durant rallied to tie the game late against Claremore and outhit the Lady Zebras but wasn’t able to overcome six errors in an 8-6 loss.
Robinson contributed two hits and drove in a pair while Harper Plymale added two hits and scored a run. Lewis tossed in a double as well with Kenzie Trotter taking the pitching loss despite yielding only three earned runs on five hits and struck out three while going the distance in the circle.
The Lady Lions rode a sixrun fourth inning eruption to a 7-5 fourth-inning lead against Adair, but watched the northeastern Oklahoma club rally for an 8-7 triumph in extra innings.
Ryan Uber, Rush and Robinson all belted singles and Morse doubled to score a pair of runs in the key sixrun flurry.
Durant tallied eight hits in the contest with Uber notching two as Morse, Rush and Trotter added one hit and two RBI apiece.
The Lady Lions are slated to close out this week’s action in the Murray State Festival in Tishomingo.
