ALEX – Verden’s Lady Tigers scored twelve runs in their last at-bat Tuesday for a decisive come-from-behind 16-5 win at Alex.

The Lady Longhorns looked like they were going to avenge a 12-0 shutout at the Ninnekah tournament over the weekend, but Verden sent up seventeen hitters in a fifth-inning marathon to lock down their eighth win.

The Tigers jumped out for three runs in the top of the first on Carly Skinner’s RBI double, Keyla Glass’ RBI single and an infield error on Kaitlyn Wilson’s grounder but Alex senior Beth Fancher kept them quiet after that.

Fancher’s double in the home first was the only hit Keyla Glass gave up until the Alex third, when the Longhorns batted around for five runs and the lead. Three Verden errors and back-to-back RBI singles from Maddie Heiten and Summer Fagan kept things rolling. A hard collision with Fagan and Tiger catcher Dionna Glass dislodged the ball for another run then Beth Hooper’s hard grounder went between Brittany Venable’s legs for still another. Hooper ended up on third and scored run five on Lindsay Cox’s groundout to the right side of the field.

Verden answered with a run in the top of the fourth on Dionna’s RBI double but Glass got picked off of third as Shay Goodson was trying to push her in to end the inning.

The baserunning goof got Alex out of trouble but the roof caved in on them in the Verden fifth. Goodson got it started with a leadoff single and seventeen batters later, the ‘Horns were reeling and down by eleven runs.

Verden never really hit Fancher that hard but they were consistent and hit the ball sharply where Alex wasn’t. Keyla drove in two runs with a liner to shallow left, Wilson plated one on a just-late throw on a fielder’s choice and Venable singled up the gut for another. A dropped throw by Alex first baseman Crystal Neece got another one in then Alex traded an out for a run on Dionna’s grounder.

Skinner singled sharply to center to push in two more and scored from third on Shaelon Wooten’s groundout to the right side. Courtesy runner Abby Simpson scored on a wild pitch and Venable singled in number twelve before getting stranded when Fancher struck Melissa Lynn out looking to end the inning.

Keyla coerced three infield groundouts from Alex in the home fifth for the win.

Skinner, Keyla and Wilson led the offense with three RBIs each for the Tigers as they extended to 8-1. Alex drops to 3-4 with the loss.