MEXICO - The Mexico Lady Bulldogs had a little more offense than the Fulton Lady Hornets softball team to decide their rivalry showdown.
Defending Class 3 state champion Mexico scored what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the third inning to edge Fulton 2-1 and hand the Lady Hornets their first NCMC loss Thursday night.
Fulton slipped to 9-6 on the season and 4-1 in the North Central Missouri Conference. The Lady Hornets previously lost to Mexico 15-10 on Sept. 6 at the Battle Tournament in Columbia.
"I thought it was a well-played game all around - definitely nothing to hang our heads about," Fulton head coach Tim Echelmeier said of Thursday night's loss. "I felt like we had more good at-bats than Mexico, but our hard-hit balls were at them and they had some fortunate placement of balls not hit hard."
The Lady Hornets - who finished with five hits - tallied their lone run in the top of the first. Sophomore second baseman Kiah Pittman opened the game with a double to center, moved to third on junior center fielder Rylee Hagens' groundout to the pitcher and scored on senior pitcher Taylor Kettle's single to center.
The Lady Bulldogs countered with a run in their half of the first to tie the game and then went in front to stay with their run in the third. Mexico ended up with six hits.
Pittman and sophomore third baseman Alex Trowbridge were both 1-for-3 with a double for Fulton. Kettle, junior first baseman Paige Clines and sophomore left fielder Kyela Macon were also 1-for-3.
Kettle (2-3) took the complete-game loss, striking out four and walking one.
The Lady Hornets travel to Boonville at 5 p.m. Monday.