MARSHALL, Texas—One big performance is better than multiple smaller performances.

Pleasant Grove rallied for three runs in the sixth inning and defeated Bullard, 7-5, in Game 1 of the best-of-three Class 4A bi-district softball playoff series Friday at ETBU's Taylor Field.

"I am fired up," Lady Hawks head coach Becca Collom said. "Their pitcher was bringing it in fast. I was pleased with how we attacked the ball, and we didn't waver. We kept hammering away. This was a great outing for us and definitely where we want to be."

Lexi Snyder started in the circle for Pleasant Grove and earned the complete-game win. She gave up five runs on eight hits, struck out six and walked two.

"Lexi did a great job," Collom said. "We missed some pitches here and there that they hit. They scored some runs on us, but she came through at the end. I know she was tired and hot. She did a good job of placing the ball the whole game."

The Hawks rallied with three runs in the sixth to take a 7-5 lead going into the final frame.

Kaylee Kelly smacked a double to left field as Isabelle Hackleman and Hanna Synder scored to give Pleasant Grove a 6-5 advantage. Bre Jones hit an RBI single to right field to pad the Hawks' lead to 7-5.

Jones led off the fifth with a double and stole third base. Jones scored on Maddie Horn's RBI single up the middle to give the Hawks a 4-3 lead.

The Lady Panthers struck back with Payton Hancock's 2-run single to left. Bullard took a 5-4 lead going into the bottom of the sixth.

Snyder hit a Texas leaguer into a perfect spot in right center for a Pleasant Grove triple in the opening inning. Jones followed with another Texas leaguer toward the first base side, allowing Snyder to score and tie the game at 1-all.

Kristin Key made a great defensive play when she backhanded a ground ball and threw to first for the Hawks' first out of the third frame.

Jones used her speed to beat out an infield single with two outs in the third. Maddie Horn then crushed a run-scoring double that bounced off the center field wall to inch the Hawks closer, 3-2.

Snyder retired the Bullard side in the fourth.

Key started things off with a triple that bounced of the wall in center. She scored on Snyder's RBI single to short to knot the game at 3-all after four innings.

Pleasant Grove takes on Bullard at noon today in Game 2 of the series at ETBU's Taylor Field. If Bullard wins, a third game would be played following a 30-minute break.

The PG-Bullard winner advances to next week's area round against the winner of the Athens-Caddo Mills series. Caddo Mills won the first game, 6-0, and the two teams played Friday night in Game 2 at Royse City.

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Bullard=120=002=0=—=5=8=3

Pleasant Grove=101=113=x=—=7=10=0

Ariel Matula and Payton Hancock. Lexi Snyder and Alex Norton. WP-Synder. LP-Matula