HOLLIDAY – A feverish rally came up one run short in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Bangs Lady Dragons dropped a 7-6 decision to the Clarendon Lady Broncos in Game 1 of a Class 2A Division I Region I softball semifinals series here Thursday.

Games 2 and 3, if needed, are back in Holliday at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Trailing 7-2 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning, Bangs (25-8) scored four runs before Clarendon (26-5-1) was able to escape with the victory.

The Lady Dragons’ seventh featured a lead-off single by Aubree Buford, followed by another base hit from Adalynne Stephens. An RBI single from Cheyenne Rush to center field plated Buford to make the score 7-3. Then, with one out, Abby Wolf launched a three-run home run over the center field wall, also scoring Stephens and Rush, but Clarendon was able to retire the final two batters to hold on for the win.

Bangs led 2-0 after three innings by scoring in the second on a Neeley Bradley solo home run, and again in the third on an RBI double by Rush that plated Stephens, who also doubled.

Clarendon answered with all seven of its runs in the top of the fourth inning, sparked by a three-run home run from Shelby Christopher and a two-run home run from Kennadie Cummins.

The Lady Dragons finished with nine hits – three by Rush, two each by Wolf and Stephens, and one apiece by Bradley and Buford.

In the circle, Wolf allowed seven runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

The Bangs-Clarendon series winner will face either Floydada or Colorado City in the Class 2A Division I Region I championship round next weekend with a berth to the state tournament on the line.