Despite a strong pitching performance from starting hurler Mikaela King, the Marshall County 12-year old All-Star softball team was pushed to the brink of elimination from the Little League District 3 tournament when they lost 4-1 to tourney host Giles County on Friday night in the first game of a best-of-three series at Richland Park.

Giles County built a 4-0 lead through the first five innings of play before staving off a late rally attempt by Marshall County in the bottom of the sixth to claim the three-run victory.

King was the tough luck loser in the circle and racked up 10 strikeouts in six innings of work while allowing four runs, only one earned, on five hits and two walks.

Five hits

Marshall County also finished with five hits and two walks against Giles County starting pitcher Hannah McCauiskey. Giles County played stellar defense behind McCauiskey and turned three double plays in the contest while committing only one error and throwing out two Marshall County base runners at home plate.

Marlee Woodward, Savannah Wooten, King, Sarah Beth Prosser, and Kaydee Todd each tallied one hit for Marshall County.

McCauiskey (1 RBI), Lexi Barnickle, first baseman Hope Calahan, Makenna Birdsong, and Hannah Burnette notched one hit apiece for Giles County.

Giles County grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Alli Toone scored on a RBI groundout by McCauiskey after drawing a leadoff walk and advancing to third on an error and a passed ball.

Scoring chance

After McCauiskey worked around a leadoff single by Wooten in the bottom of the first inning with the help of a 9-3 double play, Marshall County put a runner at third with one out in the second inning thanks to a King leadoff single, a Giles County throwing error, and a Annie Hawkins groundout. Marshall County would come away empty handed, as Calahan caught a pop up by Taylor Poteete before gunning down King at home plate to turn an inning ending 3-2 double play.

Giles County then plated another run in the top of the second to extend their lead to 2-0. Calahan led off the inning with a single before scoring on a Birdsong single and an error on Marshall County's right fielder.

Marshall County had a chance to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fourth when King singled and advanced to third with one out on a wild pitch and a passed ball, but Calahan threw her out at home on a 5-3-2 double play a few moments later to snuff out the threat.

More runs

In the top of the fifth, Giles County tacked on two more runs on the strength of singles from Barnickle and McCauiskey, a passed ball, a wild pitch, and a Marshall County error to open up a 4-0 advantage.

Marshall County tried to mount a last ditch rally in the bottom of the sixth and loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a single by Todd and a pair of walks by Daisy Braden and King. Woodward then drove in pinch runner Savannah Wooten with a RBI infield single, but McCauiskey retired the next Marshall County batter on a fielder's choice to end the game.