By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
MOUNTAIN HOME — Jacksonville’s season came to an end in the first round of the 6A state softball tournament at Mountain Home on Saturday in a 4-1 loss to Watson Chapel.
Shoddy defense and struggling bats ended the Lady Red Devils’ campaign at 14-8 after they had earned a No. 2 seed into the tournament.
Jacksonville committed four errors and picked up only two hits against Lady Wildcat hurler Kristen Johnson, while striking out eight times. Watson Chapel went on to beat Sheridan before falling to Mountain Home in the semifinals.
An error, a pair of passed balls, a single and a wild pitch allowed Watson Chapel to take a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
The Lady Devils scored a run in the fifth and had an opportunity to knot things up. Paula Burr walked and moved to second on Alexis Whatley’s sacrifice. After Riley Zinc reached safely after striking out on a wild pitch, Tyler Pickett had an infield single to score Burr.
With runners at second and third, Johnson got a strikeout to leave the go-ahead run at second base.
Chapel scored individual runs in the sixth and seventh, both the result of Jacksonville errors.
Jacksonville hurler Jessica Lanier pitched well, allowing no earned runs and just six hits, while striking out nine.
