The Lady Tigers broke open a close game with five runs over the final three innings in Tuesday night's 7-3 NCMC triumph over the Lady Hornets at the high school athletic complex.
Kirksville raced to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Fulton was able to get a run back in its half of the first. The score remained that way until the Lady Tigers tallied a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take a 5-1 advantage.
The Lady Hornets rallied for two runs in their half of the sixth to close the gap, but Kirksville clinched the win by putting up two runs in the seventh.
"Through the first five innings we were pretty solid," Fulton head coach Laura Dooley-Wilder said. "But the third time through the lineup, Kirksville started hitting the ball."
Junior first baseman Baileigh Horstmeier went 2-for-3 with a double, a run batted in and a run scored as the Lady Hornets (3-13, 2-6 North Central Missouri Conference) finished with eight hits. Senior shortstop Dacrie Depping and senior starter Brooke Baysinger were both 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Baysinger went the distance in taking the loss, allowing seven runs - five earned - on seven hits. She struck out eight and walked two.
Fulton bowed in the junior varsity game 7-1.
The Lady Hornets host Hannibal in an NCMC contest at 5 p.m. Thursday.