Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — This was a tough pill to swallow.
The Fairland Lady Dragons battled back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game, but lost 5-3 in eight innings to the Portsmouth Lady Trojans in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Wednesday.
Portsmouth took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Madison Perry doubled, went to third on a ground out and scored on Jacqueline Bautista’s sacrifice fly.
The lead went 3-0 in the fourth.
Bautista doubled, Faith Phillips singled and the run scored on a throwing error. Phillips went to third on a passed ball and scored on Cassie Potts’ ground out.
Fairland rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game.
Libby Judge singled, went to second on a fielding error and scored when Hollie Clark’s grounder went for an error.
Emily Bowen doubled, and Adrianne Hoffman singled for the second run. Hollie Lester then grounded out to drive in the tying run.
Neither team scored in the seventh but Portsmouth got two runs in the eighth.
Potts was hit by a pitch, moved up on an error and scored on a passed ball.
Kylee Montgomery walked and pinch-runner Taylor Mullins came around to score an insurance run on a passed ball.
Bowen went 3-4 with two doubles and Judge 2-4 and a double to lead Fairland.
Portsmouth 100 200 02 = 5 5 3
Fairland 000 003 00 = 3 7 2
Faith Phillips, Kylee Montgomery (6) and Bautista. Adrianna Hoffman, Emily Bowen (6), Adrianna Hoffman (8) and Hollie Lester. W-Montgomery. L-Hoffman. Hitting-PHS: Montgomery 1-3, Perry 1-4 2B, Bautista 1-4 2B; FHS: Judge 2-4 2B, Bowen 3-4 2-2B