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The Middlesboro Lady Jackets took another crack at defending 13th Region champion North Laurel Thursday and once again they weren’t quite able to do enough offensively to pull out the win.

8th-grader Kailin Yontz singled and tripled to drive in two runs and lead the Lady Jags to a 4-1 win. Megan Baldwin was solid in the pitcher’s circle as she allowed just one unearned run on six hits over seven innings. Baldwin struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.

The Lady Jackets were led by Erica Johnson and Makayla Partin with two hits each. Lindsay Durham pitched well in the loss as she allowed seven hits over seven innings and just three of the runs she allowed were earned. Durham struck out four and walked two.

“We had some baserunners, but we just weren’t able to put the hits together to score enough runs,” said Lady Jacket coach Luster Powers.

Middlesboro got off to a quick start as Megan Prater led off the bottom of the first with a base hit to left. She stole second and then advanced to third on a fly ball by Kelsie Hensley. Prater then scored on an error to put the Lady Jackets up 1-0. MHS got singles later in the inning by Johnson and Durham, but weren’t able to score again.

Durham retired the first six batters she faced, but ran into trouble in the top of the third. Farris Strong led off with a double, advanced to third on a grounder by Mikayla Vires and then scored on McKenzie Mills’ ground out to tie the game. Sydney Herrell singled, stole second and then scored as Vanessa Smith reached on an error to put North on top 2-1.

In the fourth Baldwin walked and Blake Johnson singled and Yontz then delivered an RBI single to stretch the lead to 3-1.

The Lady Jags scored another insurance run in the sixth as Baldwin singled and then scored on an RBI triple from Yontz.

Middlesboro had base runners as Partin singled and took second on a passed ball in both the second and fifth innings. Johnson also had a base hit in the sixth, but the Lady Jackets weren’t able to cash those runners in.

Both teams are in tournaments stating today with North Laurel (11-4) heading to the Assumption Crusade for Children where they’ll play Woodford County tonight and Bethlehem and North Bullitt Saturday. Middlesboro (8-8) heads to Whitley County for the Lady Colonel First Priority/UNITE Classic. They’ll play Jackson County today at 5:30 p.m. and Simon Kenton Saturday night with at least two other games against undetermined opponents also on the schedule.

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North Laurel002 101 0 — 4 7 1

Middlesboro 100 000 0 —1 6 2

Baldwin and Johnson; Durham and Hensley. W — Baldwin. L — Durham.