By Jonathan Shelton

It was a tough loss for the Patrick County Lady Cougar varsity softball team as they faced off against the Blacksburg Bruins this past Friday.

Both teams fought hard throughout the first four innings before the Bruins were able to score off a single to right field in the fifth inning, as well as exploding in the sixth with five runs.

Patrick County finally came alive in the sixth with one run and added two more in the seventh but was unable to pull off the comeback, resulting in a 6-3 loss.

Hannah Beasley started on the mound for the Cougars and pitched through 5 1/3 innings allowing six hits, one run, no strikeouts and three walks. Beasley was relieved by Katherine Beckett after walking the lead-off batter for the Bruins. Beckett threw for the remainder of the game allowing eight hits, giving up five runs, and two strikeouts. Beasley took the loss for the Cougars.

Senior Makenzie Watts led the Cougars, scoring their first run in the sixth inning along with adding an RBI hit in the seventh. Brooklyn Caviness scored a run from a double by Morgan Biggs, who also added the Cougars’ last run later in the seventh.

The Cougars hosted the Magna Vista Warriors on Tuesday and will host the Tunstall Trojans next Friday at 5 p.m.