
MINERAL WELLS – The Brownwood Lady Lions dropped their third consecutive District 6-4A softball contest, as the Mineral Wells Lady Rams erased a two-run deficit by scoring all of their runs in the final two innings of a 5-2 decision Tuesday night.
The Lady Lions (14-14, 2-5) slipped to fifth place in the league standings with three games remaining, while Mineral Wells (19-8, 3-4) climbed into a tie for third place as the top four finishers advance to the playoffs.
Brownwood – which won the first meeting between the two teams, 4-1, on its home turf – grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Nevaeh Perez, who walked with one out, scored on a two-out wild pitch during the at-bat of Audrey Keas.
The Lady Lions boosted the advantage to 2-0 in the top of the fifth as Hanah Campos’ RBI sacrifice fly brought home Lila Mares, who led off the frame with a single.
Mineral Wells surged in front, 3-2, in the bottom of the fifth as Carsyn Presley’s RBI sacrifice fly scored Rylan Tarver, who walked with one out. Kimber Prentice then followed with a two-out, two-RBI single that plated Kynlee Harkins, who walked, and Kaylei Bunnell, who ran for Jadyn Horton after a single.
In the bottom of the sixth, Mineral Wells tacked on two insurance runs while the Lady Lions were retired in order in the top of the seventh.
Brownwood tallied only three hits – one each by Campos, Mares and Maitlyn Esquivel.
In the circle, Kaydence Allen yielded three earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and five walks, while the Brownwood defense committed one error behind her.
The Lady Lions visit Stephenville (14-13-1, 3-4) at 6:30 p.m. Friday, a rematch of a game Brownwood dropped 12-11 at home in extra innings in the first half of league play.