Two of District 16-5A's best pitchers started Friday's game at Lady Tiger Softball Field slow.
Texas High (15-3, 2-0) banged out nine hits in the first two innings, including a three-run homer by Courtnee Cheek en route to a 7-4 victory over Pine Tree (16-4-1, 1-1).
Tiger sophomore Mabry Smith started in the circle, but only went three innings. After being staked to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, her exit came in the fourth with nobody out and a runner on base. She allowed two runs on four hits, while walking three and striking out five.
Sophomore Lindsey Egger replaced Smith, allowing two unearned runs on five hits and five strikeouts.
Pine Tree ace Madalyn Alexander settled down after the second, holding the Tigers to two runs on two hits. Four Pirate errors accounted for those final runs.
"I'm glad we came out swinging the bats well, because we had a few errors tonight that we usually don't have," THS coach Robbie Hatfield said. "Alexander is a quality pitcher, but I don't think she knew what hit her at the beginning because we hit the ball hard. Still, she only got better as the game went on.
"The wheels sort of came off in the second when we booted one and walked a batter at the bottom of their lineup. I went about as far as I thought I could go with Mabry. I felt like I had to make a change."
Alexander walked Bailey Groom to start the bottom of the first, racing all the way to third on Ashley Wyrick's bunt single. Braley Turner plated the game's first run with a double to left-center, and Cheek followed with her roundtripper over the center field fence.
One out later Raegan Erskine and Kylee Spriggs had back-to-back singles, Erskine scoring on a single to left by Ryann Williams. Spriggs was thrown out at the plate on a perfect throw by PT left fielder Cheyenne Thurmond.
A free pass and infield error got Smith in trouble in the second with two outs. Riley Kennedy smashed a two-run single to left to make it 5-2.
The Tigers scored an unearned run in the fourth with the help of two Pine Tree errors.
Texas High's final run touched the plate in the fifth when Erskine reached on an infield error and scored on a double to left by Spriggs.
The Pirates' final run scored in the seventh after a one-out triple by Robin Jackson. She scored on a passed ball.
Turner and Spriggs had a double and single, while Williams contributed two singles to lead THS at the plate.
Jackson had a triple and two singles for the Pirates with Kennedy and Alexander adding two hits each.
Texas High's junior varsity beat the Pirates, 9-4.
Pine Tree 020 010 1 4 9 4
Texas High 500 110 x 7 11 3
Madalyn Alexander and Robin Jackson; Mabry Smith, Lindsey Egger (4) and Kylee Spriggs. WP-Egger; LP-Alexander. HR-THS, Courtnee Cheek, 1st, 2 on.