By NICHOLAS KIMBALL

Staff writer

Marion

The Warriors were swept Thursday at home by Little River, losing 12-4 and 19-14.

In game one, the teams battled each other back and forth and were tied 3-3, forcing extra innings. One bad inning gave Little River the victory.

“Game one was a bittersweet result,” coach Jerry Mendoza said. “We took the loss but saw many positives as a team. We had many players achieve several firsts in their softball career.”

Erin Regnier played catcher for the first time. Briar Thompson made great plays in her first game at second base. And Bre Williams pitched well despite not feeling well.

Tessa Mendoza made her first start as pitcher in the second game.

“She struggled at times but bounced back each time to get out of further damage possibilities,” the coach said. “Three players were able to get their first hit of their high school careers, and the team as a whole battled to the very end to make it a competitive game.

The Warriors will hit the road Tuesday to play against Canton-Galva but not before playing a makeup game Monday against Remington.

Hillsboro

The Trojans dropped two to Abilene on Thursday to open the season.

Hillsboro had a huge third inning in the first game, bringing in seven runs to Abilene’s two. However, Abilene kept scoring, and Trojans were unable to match it, losing 12-8.

In the second game, Abilene stepped out to a 11-2 lead after the first inning and never looked back. Trojans were unable to weather the storm, losing 26-7.

The Trojans will hit the road Friday against Smoky Valley (0-1).