PICAYUNE — In a game where 31 runs were scored in a total of eight innings, the Lady Tide lost 17-14 against Bay High Thursday night.

Heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, the Lady Tigers led 9-0 but Picayune continued to play their best despite the large deficit. After Lady Tide’s Millie Stewart struck out while at-bat, Sarah Walker and Rianna McNeely each hit a single and were able to reach second and first base. The next batter, Devin Frierson, was tagged out at first but the hit allowed Walker to score the first run of the game for the Lady Tide. One play later, McNeely also scored after a base hit by Brooke Breaux. Two batters later with Breaux on third and Jessica Magee on second, a double by Sarah Stockstill allowed Breaux and Magee to score and cut the Lady Tide’s deficit to five, trailing 9-4. Before the end of the inning, Stockstill added one more run for Picayune after an RBI by Kayla Moore.

The bottom of the fifth inning saw the Lady Tide (0-9) continue its offensive rhythm, as Walker, McNeely and Frierson were able to load the bases with zero outs. A hit by Breaux to center field allowed Walker and McNeely to score and cut the deficit to only two runs with a 9-7 score. After a new pitcher came on the mound for Bay High (2-6), Frierson scored for Picayune and one play later, an error by Lady Tigers’ Kayla Lafontaine at third baseball allowed Breaux to add another point to Picayune’s scoreboard, tying the game at nine runs.

In the top of the sixth, Bay High’s Lizzie Weems gave the team the lead back when a missed catch by Picayune’s first baseman Cameron Carter prevented the inning from coming to an end.

Facing a 0-2 count with two outs and Frierson and Breaux on first and second in the bottom of the sixth, Magee hit the ball deep into right field and after some miscommunication from Bay High players, Magee was able to score off an inside-the-park homerun. The three runs by the Lady Tide gave the team a 12-10 lead heading into the last inning of the game.

The top of the seventh began with Bay High’s Lafontaine being tagged out at first but Ahmia Khadaroo was able to reach first after a base hit. A hit to center field by Kaylen Ott allowed Khadaroo to score from first base and the Lady Tigers trailed 12-11. Afterwards, Ott stole second and after Aubrey Smith was tagged out at first, Ott made her way to third.  Ott tied the game one play later when teammate Weems drove the ball between second and center field.

During the bottom of the seventh, three straight groundouts for the Lady Tide forced the game to head into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, Layla Waite, Domonique Cole, Taylor Bonvillion, Lauren Ann Lagasse and Khadaroo scored one run each for Bay High and gave the team a 17-12 lead.

Picayune’s Stewart and McNeely scored one run each to cut the deficit down to 17-14 during the bottom of the seventh. The game came to an end when Magee hit the ball towards first base but, Bay High’s first baseman Mckenna Lafontaine caught the ball before it hit the ground and tagged Breaux at first.

“I was proud to see the fight and the grit that we showed in this game today,” Picayune Head Softball Coach Kristie Mitchell said. “We got behind early on because we didn’t make some routine plays and Bay High took advantage of our mistakes. We have a mixture of experience and young talent in this team and we’re working towards putting it all together and being able to win games later on.”

Bay High jumped to an early 9-0 lead after Smith and Weems scored twice and Lafontaine, Ott, Cole, Bonvillion and Gracey Adkins each scored in the first four innings of the game.

For Picayune, Magee batted 2-for-5 with a double, four RBIs and an inside-the-park homerun, Breaux went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs and Frierson was 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

The Lady Tide will be back in action Saturday against Oak Grove and Biloxi at St. Martin High School and will later travel to Stone on Thursday, March 15.