Straughn got three clutch hits and scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs, as the Lady Tigers beat Headland 8-1 Monday night in area action.

The sixth-ranked Lady Tigers scored their four runs on hits from Kaitlynn Wiggins, Katy Messick and Paige Caraway.

“We had a couple clutch hits there (in the sixth inning). That was big,” SHS head softball coach Ray Wilson said. “That kind of gave us a little cushion to work with in that last inning.”

In the last inning, Wiggins came in to relieve Caraway and Messick, who pitched the first four innings (two innings apiece) for Straughn.

Straughn (9-4, 2-1 in Class 4A, Area 3) scored two runs and took a 4-1 lead in the second inning on three hits, two of which came from Kelli Wilcox and Megan Johns, who both hit singles.

Wiggins was 3-for-4 and had one double and two singles; Caraway was 3-for-4 and had two singles; and Wilcox had two singles.

Headland scored its only run in the top of the first, where Wilson said he noticed his team’s defense played “sloppy.”

“We’ve still got some areas we need to improve in,” he said. “Our first inning was a little sloppy on defense. We’ll work on that when we get a practice day.”

Wilson was referring to the week his team will be having. Straughn traveled to Opp Tuesday night in a regular season game, and will play host to its annual KLD softball tournament, which starts on Thursday, and ends Saturday.