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The Florala Lady Wildcats came out on top in a 20-hit slugfest with the Pleasant Home Lady Eagles, 18-16, on Monday.

Pleasant Home jumped out to the first lead of the game in the top of the first. Florala gave up three consecutive walks to the first three batters to load the bases. The first run scored on a wild pitch and the second scored on a fielding error by Florala. A single by Jenna Clark brought in another run. Two more would cross home plate in the inning, giving Pleasant Home a quick 5-0 edge.

The Lady Eagles added to the lead in the top of the second. A hard ground-ball single by Jaiden Paul brought in Aubree Mosely and then a fielding error allowed Ivy Youngblood to come home, making the score 7-0.

Florala got on the board in the bottom of the second. Skyler Murdock led off getting on base after being hit by a pitch. She advanced to third on back-to-back grounders. Pleasant Home struggled to get the third out, giving up three walks and two doubles, one by Julia Leonard and another by Jailee Jones, that put the Lady Wildcats within striking distance, 7-5.

Florala took the lead with a big inning in the bottom of the third. Murdock and Bella Bookout started the inning reaching on consecutive walks. A single by Julia Leonard brought two runs home, tying the game at seven, while Aubree Powell, who reached on an error, advanced to third. Florala batters continued to be patient at the plate and it paid off with three consecutive walks. Ella Caraway delivered a big blow with a three-RBI double that lifted the Lady Wildcats to a 12-7 lead at the end of three innings.

Pleasant Home made it 12-8 in the top of the fourth when H. Ward tagged up on a fly ball by Kayden Weaver.

The Lady Wildcats again pushed up their run total in the bottom of the fourth. It began with a series of walks and a hit batter. Once again, it was Caraway delivering the big blow with another three-run double. Murdock followed with an RBI single to give Florala an 18-8 lead going into the fifth.

After scoring one run in the fifth, making the score 18-9, the Lady Eagles began to battle back in the top of the sixth. With one out, Hailey Ward singled followed by a walk by Ivy Youngblood. Then, Weaver doubled, bringing both runners home and making the score 18-11. Another walk was followed by a double by Caroline Sansom, bringing home two more runs. Two more walks followed to load the bases and a fielding error by Florala allowed Sansom to score, cutting the lead to 18-14. Mosley singled to bring home Clark, making it a three-run game, 18-15, but Florala put an end to the inning, picking the Pleasant Home runner off at third base for the final out.

The Lady Wildcats went down quietly in the bottom of the sixth.

Pleasant Home got off to a good start in the top of the seventh as Ward led off with a walk followed by a single by Youngblood. But, Ward was picked off at second and that was followed by a ground ball out. Avery Hunter gave Pleasant Home their final run with a triple to right, scoring Youngblood, making the final score 18-16.

Leonard and Caraway led the way offensively for the Lady Wildcats, each recording two hits. Caraway had six RBI in the game with two doubles. Jones had four RBI on one hit while Payton Murray had three RBI and three runs off of three walks.

Isabella Brooks earned the win on the mound for the Lady Wildcats, pitching 5.1 innings.

Jenna Clark led Pleasant Home with three hits. Weaver and Sansom each drove in three RBI on doubles.

Sansom started on the mound for the Lady Eagles, going 3.1 innings. Brooklyn Headley pitched 2.2 innings of relief.

The Lady Wildcats (4-10) will host Laurel Hill on Thursday, April 11, at 5 p.m.

The Lady Eagles (1-7) will host Kinston on Thursday, April 11, at 4:30 p.m.