WEATHERFORD – The No. 11 Early Lady Horns dominated Game 2 by a 15-0 count, and rallied from a four-run deficit in Game 3, but the Bowie Lady Rabbits scored the final four runs in Game 3 to snatch a Class 3A Division I Region I softball bi-district championship, 9-6, Friday night at Weatherford College.

Early (26-6) – which dropped Game 1 by a 9-8 count Thursday – chalked up a 15-0 victory in Game 2 Friday, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the first inning while adding seven more runs in the third inning.

Adysn Atchley tossed a one-hitter with four strikeouts and two walks, while the Lady Horn defense did not commit an error.

Offensively, Early tallied 10 hits led by two, including a home run, and six RBIs from Aleeya McCleery; two from Jamie Lyon; a single and three RBIs from Sunny Groom; a single and pair of RBIs from Andie Simpson; a solo home run from Sydney Greaves; a triple and an RBI from Andie Simpson; and a single from Kyleigh Caperton.

In the series finale, Bowie (19-15) jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first inning before the Lady Horns stormed back with two runs in the second inning and three more in the third.

Early’s second-inning featured as two-out single by Lyon, followed by a two-run inside-the-park home run from Caperton.

Down 5-3 in the third, Vassar, McCombs and Stifflemire walked to load the bases, and another walk to Greaves forced in the fourth run. Lyon then followed with a two-RBI single that pushed Early in front, 6-5.

The Lady Horns maintained their lead until the bottom of the sixth inning, where Serenity Klump led off with a single and moved to second base on a sacrifice, and KP Rutherford delivered with the game-tying RBI single. Chloe Kinney and Payton Holt followed with singles to load the bases, and Kynlee Baker reached on a two-out error that allowed the go-ahead runs to score. Laci Goodwin followed with an insurance RBI single.

Early again recorded 10 hits – three by Lyon, who drove in two; two from Caperton, who plated a pair; one hit and one RBI each from Vassar and Greaves; and one hit apiece from Groom, Stifflemire and Paizlee Scott.

In the circle, Atchley and Groom combined to yield three earned runs on 12 hits with five strikeouts and three walks. The Early defense committed the only three errors of the contest.

Bowie advances to face No. 12 Jim Ned in the area round of the playoffs next week.

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Other Friday Playoff Scores

Cross Plains 16, Jayton 0

Cross Plains 17, Jayton 0

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Saturday Playoff Schedule

Haskell at Coleman, 11 a.m. (Games 2 and 3, if needed – Haskell leads 1-0)