Prep Softball: Tornadoes come back to beat Harrisburg

The Harrisburg High School softball team had just four hits and committed four errors in dropping a 5-3 ball game to Zeigler-Roylaton Thursday afternoon.

With the loss, the Bulldogs fall to 8-9 on the season and Matty Hawkins dropped to 5-7 with the tough luck loss.

The freshman right hander went the distance, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, while striking out seven and not issuing a walk.

"Matty pitched a much better ball game, we just didn't help her out defensively," Harrisburg head coach Red Stafford said.

The Bulldogs jumped up on Z-R 3-0 in the second inning when Madison Matthews drove in Mckenzie Sullivan and Abby Dalton. Hawkins tacked on the third run when she was plated on a fielder's choice.

Harrisburg couldn't hold the lead as the Tornadoes came back to make it a 3-2 game and after the tie, tack on two more runs in the top of the eighth inning.

Brittany Hutchinson, Whitney Younger, Dalton and Matthews had the four hits for Harrisburg.

"Of the 24 outs we had today on offense, half of them came from striking out," Stafford noted. "We're just not putting the ball in play. That being said, we're not helping ourselves out with making as many errors as we have made.

Harrisburg will close out the week, hosting West Frankfort today at 4:30 p.m.