ATHENA — The Weston-McEwen softball team rallied to extend the game to extra innings, but couldn’t keep its momentum going and lost 5-4 to Pleasant Hill on Friday in the 3A state quarterfinals.

The No. 5 Pleasant Hill Billies scored the winning run in the top of the eighth inning on an infield error when two players went for the same ball, then let it drop between them.

Pleasant Hill pitcher Erica Skelton then got the TigerScots to hit into three straight outs in the bottom of the inning to end the game.

“I think our teams were comparable and (Friday) I think we made more mistakes than they did and that’s probably why they won the game,” said Weston-McEwen coach Jeff Griggs.

Weston-McEwen didn’t make it easy on Pleasant Hill, though, and scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score at 4-4.

Sydney Peal and Jordyn Lambert got them going with one-out singles. Then Charmayne Bennett hit a double to score pinch runner Courtney Cain, and Ashley Hill put the ball in play and the Billies made an error to score Lambert.

A strikeout gave Pleasant Hill two outs, but Isabelle Dillow plated Bennett with a clutch single before a fly ball ended the inning.

Dillow, one of the team’s four seniors, led them with two hits (2-4), one run and one RBI.

Jessica Lambert, another senior, pitched the complete game and finished with seven hits allowed, just one earned run, 12 strikeouts and one walk.

Skelton had eight strikeouts and one walk, and allowed two earned runs on six hits.

After starting the season with two straight losses, Griggs said he was proud of how the team competed in its first season at the 3A level.

“My assistant coaches Denise Sampson, KC Ashley and Mike Lambert did a stellar job of helping get these girls in the right mind-frame and helping them to be successful,” he said. “We were a little slow out of the gate this year but we began to form an identity and trust each other and build some good team chemisty as the year went along.

“I thought we really hit our stride near the postseason and were playing really good ball. It was exciting.”

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R HE

PH 200 000 21 — 5 7 3

W-M 100 000 30 — 4 6 5

W — E. Skelton. L — Je. Lambert.

2B — E. Skelton (PH); C. Bennett (W-M).