The Early Lady Horns and Bangs Lady Dragons both remained in a tie for second place in the District 8-3A softball standings and inched within one game of the top spot thanks to a Tuesday upset.

That upset was delivered by Early, which knocked off district front-runner Brock, 1-0, while Bangs cruised to a 10-0 triumph over Millsap.

In the win for Early (19-6, 8-3) over Brock (16-6, 9-2), the Lady Horns produced the game’s only run in the top of the third inning. Grace LaRue led off with a single but was retired when Jordyn McIntire reached on a fielder’s choice. Trinity Torrez followed with a one-out bunt single, which set the stage for Taylor Summers’ RBI single up the middle to plate McIntire with the only run.

In the circle, Teagan Lopez went the distance and hurled a five-hit shutout with four strikeouts and two walks for the Lady Horns.

Offensively, Early produced six hits – two each from Summers and Torrez, and one apiece from LaRue and Jordan Simmons.

In Bangs’ (13-6, 8-3) victory over Millsap (0-15, 0-11), the Lady Dragons scored once in the first and fifth innings, six times in the third and added two runs in the fifth.

The nine-hit attack included two hits and an RBI apiece from Emily Baker and Sierra Lorah; one hit and three RBI each from Jadyn Miller and McKenzie Hughes; one hit and one RBI from both Abby Wolf and Jacee Miller, who homered; and one hit from Neeley Bradley.

Wolf picked up the win in the circle, yielding just one hit with 11 strikeouts and one walk.

Early hosts Peaster Friday while Bangs welcomes Brock.