The Chillicothe Lady Hornets came up just short in a pitcher’s duel Thursday night, dropping a 3-2 decision to Excelsior Springs on the road.
Chillicothe took the early lead in the second when Hayden Hanson scored. They added another run in the fifth as Ashlynn Daugherty crossed the plate. The Hornets finished with five hits on the night, led by Daugherty, who went 1-for-3 with a single and a run scored, and Maicee Albrecht, who collected two hits. Jordan Foster and Maddie Robinson each added runs batted in.
In the circle, Jordan Foster turned in a gritty complete-game effort, going 8 innings while striking out three and allowing just three earned runs on three hits.
Excelsior Springs pushed across the decisive run late, with catcher J. Casler sending a deep shot out of the park in the bottom of the 9th to spark the Lady Tigers’ offense for a walk-off winner.
Despite the loss, Chillicothe showed resilience, stranding only six runners and keeping the game tight against a strong Excelsior squad.
The Lady Hornets (6-2) return to action at Danner Park on Saturday in the Chillicothe Tournament.