Straughn’s Kimberly Teel scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning Monday night to win over Pleasant Home 3-2 at Straughn High School.

The No. 3 Lady Tigers and No. 1 Lady Eagles also met last Thursday in another showdown at the KLD Tournament. Straughn won that game, 2-1 in nine innings.

The Lady Eagles (9-3, 5-0 in Class 1A, Area 3) shot out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning Monday.

Straughn (12-4, 1-0 in Class 3A, Area 3) came back in the third and tied the game up.

Stephanie Bracewell reached on a bunt and Kaitlynn Wiggins reached on an infield hit. Bracewell came around and scored on passed ball and Wiggins scored off Kayla Messer’s hit to second where the second baseman made an error.

“That’s the way it stayed until the eighth inning,” Straughn coach Ray Wilson said. “It was very similar (to the game last Thursday). There were two different pitchers pitching with similar results. It was a pitchers’ duel. They had three hits and we had three hits.”

Straughn’s Katy Messick picked up the win for her team, pitching 8.0 innings and giving up three hits, two runs and striking out five.

“It was another typical battle,” Wilson said.

Pleasant Home coach Jimmy Reeves said the game came down to defense.

“It was another great game,” Reeves said. “The difference in the game was that they made some huge defensive plays. I thought we swung at the ball better in the first game, but their shortstop made a great play in the eighth inning that kept us from scoring.

“ Anytime you can hold Straughn you’ve got to be proud of your defense,” he said. “I thought Gina Davis pitched a great game. We got up 2-0 and should have put more runs on the board but that came back to get us.”

Straughn will travel to play Florala Thursday starting with junior varsity at 3:30 p.m.

Pleasant Home will travel to play Opp Thursday starting with junior varsity at 4 p.m.