FORNEY, Texas-Texas High's softball team could not repeat its outstanding performance from Thursday night.
North Forney (18-14) combined six stolen bases with multiple errors by the Lady Tigers for a 5-3 victory Friday at the Lady Falcons' complex.
The Falcons' win ties this 5A bi-district best-of-three series at 1-1, forcing a decisive third game at noon today on the campus of Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant.
Rain could be the biggest opposition for both teams with the weatherman predicting 100 percent chance of precipitation. If the game is not played, it will likely result in a coin-flip to determine who advances to next week's area round.
"Tonight was not one of our best efforts; we had some balls that should have been caught; we didn't cover some bases that should have been covered; and we're chasing balls out of the strike zone," THS coach Robbie Hatfield said.
"North Forney is a good team, and (Andrea) Decarneau is a good pitcher. Tomorrow is a new day and we've got to be ready to go. I told the girls somebody has got to win tomorrow and advance to next week. Both pitchers are going to be tired, they're human. Not only physically, but also mentally because we've played two close ball games the last two nights."
Texas High (25-6) got on the scoreboard first Friday after a lead-off single to center by Kylee Spriggs in the third. She moved up on a passed ball and scored of the second of Ashley Wyrick's four hits. Wyrick raced to second on the throw home and scored on Braley Turner's single to left.
The Lady Falcons answered back in their half of the third.
Amanda Jones singled to left, racing to third on Brooke Taylor's double to left that was misjudged by the outfielder. Logan Lowry walked to load the bases. Losing pitcher Mabry Smith got a fielder's choice at the plate for the first out, but Alexa Enriquez reached on an infield error, allowing two runs to score.
Another misjudged fly in the outfield resulted in a double for Brooke Cornelison, and she scored two outs later on Jones' single to left to make it 3-2.
This time it was Texas High answering back after Spriggs drew a leadoff walk, She was sacrificed to second by Kenzie Dickson, scoring one out later on Wyrick's third single.
North Forney would score what proved to be the decisive run in its half of the fifth when Lowry singled to left, stole second and third, while scoring on Decareau's single to left.
Pinch-hitter Riley Borbon walked in the sixth, and Lacey Mantooth re-entered the game to steal second and third, scoring on a throwing error when nobody covered third.
The Tigers fought back in the seventh after the first two batters were retired.
Bailey Groom doubled off the left-field fence, moving up on Wyrick's fourth hit. Groom stopped at third, and Wyrick was thrown out at second trying to advance to second on the throw home.
Smith only allowed six scattered hits, but walked five while striking out eight. The Tigers had eight hits off Decareau, who walked two and struck out eight.
The series will be broadcast on KTXK, 91.5 FM.
Texas High 002 010 0 3 8 2
North Forney 002 111 x 5 6 0
Mabry Smith and Kylee Spriggs; Andrea Decareau and Alyssa Gaidos. WP-Decareau; LP-Smith (19-4).