The Bluffton Lady Pirates fell 2 runs short in a seventh inning comeback against the Paulding Panthers Thursday at Paulding.
The Pirates trailed 8-1 at the top of the seventh. The Pirates lone run came early in the first as Shannon McKamey placed herself in scoring position with a hard hit double and Ashlin Gable was able to drive her in with a single.
The Panthers held off a Pirate charge in the fourth, as the Pirates stranded pinch runner Olivia Hunt and Adrian Rumer at third and second. The Pirates started to connect the hits at the top of the seventh as Katie Palte, Lexi Luginbihl, and Kalya Longworth all contributed base hits to load the bases.
Brianna Laing and McKamey each singled with Laing batting in Palte and Luginbihl forced out at home. Gable stepped up to the plate and blasted a to the fence double driving in all Pirate base runners to bring the ladies within 3.
Molly Lengyel and Rumer kept the hits coming, each with a single and Rumer adding an RBI to put the Pirates 2 runs down. Mariah Welch hit a pop-up out and Palte was thrown out at first to end the game for the Pirates with the score 8-6 in favor of the Panthers. Paulding scored 4 runs in the first in an error filled inning for the Pirates and added 2 runs in the second and 2 runs in the sixth.
The Pirates fall to 10-6 on the season and 4-2 in the NWC. Kayla Longworth walked 2 batters and struck out 2 in the loss bringing her record to 8-5.
The Pirates will host Columbus Grove at home on Monday in the final home game for seniors Molly Lengyel, Brianna Laing, Shannon McKamey, Mariah Welch, Tessa Howe and Kelsey Buettner.
Kayla Longworth- losing pitcher, 2 walks, 2 strike-outs
Top Hitters:
Shannon McKamey: 2/4 1-2B
Ashlin Gable: 3/4, 4 RBI's
Molly Lengyel: 3/4, 1-2B
Adrian Rumer: 2/4, 1 RBI
