MANDEVILLE — Games sometimes come down to taking advantage of scoring chances.
That was the case for Franklinton in a 6-1 loss to Lakeshore in District 8-4A action on the road Tuesday.
The Lady Demons had traffic on the bases throughout the game. Franklinton had at least one runner on base in every inning except the sixth. Franklinton left 12 runners on base, with seven of them in scoring position.
“I think we had (12) left on,” Franklinton coach Leslie McGhee said. “We’ve got to have those. I don’t know where our bats went. We got hits, but never when we needed them. I don’t know. I haven’t seen this same team since Saturday night. (Monday) we had a big loss (10-1 to Archbishop Hannan). Tonight, this is a big loss for us. We needed this win. I don’t know, maybe we’ll find them (Wednesday).”
Things started out well for Franklinton, as the Lady Demons took a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Ashlan Ard led off the inning by tripling to right field as on a ball that dropped inside of the right field line and rolled to the fence. Brylie Fowler was next and she hit a grounder. The throw went home, but Ard beat the play and Franklinton had a 1-0 lead through one inning.
Lakeshore took a 2-1 lead in the second. Alexa Williams singled with one out and the next hitter Jade Parker hit a home run to centerfield to give Lakeshore a 2-1 advantage.
Lakeshore added two more each in the fourth and fifth innings.
Alara Taylor led off with a single. Cara Rankin put down a bunt. The throw went to second and Taylor was safe. She never stopped running and beat the play at third. Rankin alertly moved to second on the play. Williams hit a ground ball. The throw went home, but Taylor made it back to third. The bases were loaded with nobody out. Parker drew an RBI walk to plate Taylor for a 3-1 lead. After the first out, Ashley Mayfield hit a sacrifice fly. Rankin scored and it was a 4-1 contest after four.
Maddie Miller tripled to begin the fifth and Emma Cowart doubled her home. Taylor singled to left field sending Cowart home for a 6-1 lead.
Ard tripled and scored a run.
Ashlyn Welch and Missouri Varnado posted two hits each.
Bailey Spears, Bailey Brooks, Kiersten Allen and Aleigha Fussell all had one hit.
Franklinton rebounded from the setback with a 14-1 victory in five innings over Salmen at home Thursday.
Fowler had a big day, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs batted in and three runs scored.
Ard hit a home run and doubled with an RBI and three runs scored as part of a 2-for-4 day.
Albanie Fussell posted two hits, including a double and two RBIs.
Aleigha Fussell tallied a pair of hits that included a double and a run batted in.
Allen doubled, drove in two runs and scored two runs.
Varnado singled and had a pair of RBIs.
Spears singled and drove in a run.
Kassidy Nielson and Ashlyn Welch scored two runs each while Brooks and Faour tallied one each.
Aleigha Fussell threw all five innings, allowing no earned runs on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk.