The Forrest Lady Rockets trailed Spring Hill 4-0 in the first inning before chipping away to tie the game in the fifth, but a couple of costly unearned runs and some clutch hitting by the Lady Raiders was the difference in the 6-5 loss.

"We have to fix that early game stuff," said Forrest head coach Becky Cheatham. "I believe and they agreed, that we don't go in to every game mentally intense and that got us beat tonight, I do believe."

Spring Hill had eight hits in the game with four of them coming in a windblown first inning where balls were dropping in empty outfield spaces and in front of homeplate.

Kickstart

In the top of the third, Forrest finally got things going on offense, beginning with a leadoff triple by Kiyoko Puca.

After a Forrest strikeout, Puca scored to make it 4-1 on a perfectly executed safety squeeze play as Kelsey Darnell dropped a spinner and was safe at first on the scoring play.

Lady Rocket starter Sara Jordan settled in, holding Spring Hill at bay, and in the top of the fourth, Katie Warrick reached on an error to leadoff the frame before Jordan roped a double, putting runners on second and third.

Warrick trotted home on a passed before a Liz Daughrity fielder's choice RBI that scored courtesy runner Margaret Bryan made it a 4-3 ballgame.

Going ahead

Jordan set down Spring Hill 1-2-3 in the home half of the inning and in the visitors' fifth, Darnell nailed a one-out single to center and advanced to second on an outfield bobble.

Lady Rocket eighth-grader Lainey Mays drilled the game-tying single up the middle before Lady Raider starter Haley Perryman retired the next two Forrest batters.

Jordan got the first two outs in the bottom of the inning before Brooke Yokley reached third base on a Forrest outfield error and scampered home with go-ahead run moments later on a passed ball.

A single by Elissa Secrest, combined with another Forrest miscue in the green put Spring Hill runners on second and third.

Alexis Harper followed with an RBI single to right field making it a 6-4 ballgame.

Late rally

There was no scoring in the sixth, but in the top of the seventh, Forrest did not give in, rallying with two when Darnell walked and went to second on a passed ball.

Mays walked and Darnell took third as the ball found the dirt, and on the next pitch, the ball got away again as Darnell scored and Mays raced around third and headed home, trying to tie the game, but was out by a hair at home on the hustle play, ending the thriller.

"I commend them for battling back, we didn't give up, we learned something, and we grew," said Cheatham. "We have some young players that need experience and we will take that and go with it, and I am sure we will be ok down the stretch."

Forrest had five hits in the contest with Darnell leading the way with two hits in two at bats, plus a base on balls, two runs scored, and an RBI.

Jordan (2B), Puca (3B, RS), and Mays (BB, RBI) each had a base hit as the Lady Rockets dropped to 11-5 on the season.

Forrest travels to Community on Wednesday and to Eagelville Friday afternoon before heading over to the Coffee County Classic Friday and Saturday.