The Pleasant Home Lady Eagles put up a strong fight, but it was the Paxton Lady Cats that came away a 2-0 win in Friday night’s pitcher’s duel at the Pleasant Home softball tournament in Andalusia.

On the mound for the Lady Eagles, Ava Bailey went right to work from the start of the contest.

Bailey fanned the first two batters before giving up a walk.

“Ava (Bailey) really pitched a great game,” Pleasant Home head softball coach Jessica Gibson said. “We just weren’t able to get the bats going like we needed.”

The Paxton runner ventured too far away from first on the next pitch and was thrown out by Sarah McClung.

Paxton’s pitcher came out strong as well and struck out the Lady Eagles in order in the bottom of the first inning.

In the top of the second inning, Paxton got a leadoff double and then an error off the bat of the next batter led to the first run of the game.

The Lady Eagles opened up the bottom of the second with a leadoff runner after Amy Bulger was hit by a pitch.

Bulger advanced to second a few batters later when Rae Rae Coleman ripped a single up the middle of the diamond.

Paxton’s pitcher dialed back in and picked up a strikeout and a ground out to leave the Lady Cats on top 1-0.

The Lady Cats got a one-out double in the top of the fourth inning and then a two-out single pushed across a run to put Paxton on top 2-0.

Bulger singled to start the bottom of the fourth and moved to second on single from Bella Worley, but the Paxton pitcher picked up another strikeout to end the Lady Eagles’ threat.

“Paxton is really a quality team,” Gibson said. “Now, we are never satisfied with a loss, but we got better as the game went along and I saw some good things.”