By Brandon Sumrall/Special to The Advertiser

One inning cost the Isabella Mustangs baseball team dearly in its bid to pick up its first win of the season on March 6 at home against the Dallas County Hornets.

With a one-run lead late in the game, a six-run inning by the Hornets propelled them to a 7-3 win over the Mustangs.

After two strikeouts by Mustangs pitcher Jacob Davis to start the game, a two-out triple by Delando Atchison to right field gave the Hornets momentum—and later, a one-run lead—when Atchison scored on an infield error by the Mustangs off the bat of Bruce Talbot.

Jacob Carroll ledoff the bottom half of the first inning with a single up the middle for Isabella, but three infield ground balls stranded Carroll and Kelan Mims, who reached on an error.

A double up the middle by Paul Daniels gave the Hornets another scoring opportunity in the top of the second, but a fly ball to right field and a strike out brought the scoring threat to an end.

Austin Parker started off the home half of the inning off by reaching base after being hit by a pitch, but three straight Mustang strikeouts brought the second inning to a close.

The Hornets continued to cling to a one-run lead as they were retired in order in the top of the third.

Carroll reached on an infield error but was called out at second when Jarrett Baker reached on a fielder’s choice.

A Davis single gave the Mustangs two on with one out, but a strikeout and ground ball back to the pitcher brought the inning to a close and kept the Mustangs down, 1-0.

After another three-up, three-down inning for the Hornets, Parker again led off the home half of the inning by being on the receiving end of a bean ball, but three straight strikeouts for Isabella brought the fourth inning to a close with the Mustangs still down a run.

Yet another three-up, three-down inning by Dallas County took the game to the bottom half of the fifth inning, were the Mustangs finally got on the scoreboard.

A leadoff single by Jacob Carroll in the bottom of the fifth set up an RBI double to left by Davis to tie the game at 1-1.

One batter later, a Mims single to the right side scored Davis to give Isabella a 2-1 lead after five innings of play.

The top of the sixth inning was the undoing for the Mustangs, as the Hornets reeled off six runs in the inning.

Willie Lofton started things off by reaching on an error that led to a game-tying RBI double from Cole Robertson.

With Atchison reaching on a walk, a single by Gabe Denson scored Robertson, while a sacrifice fly by Donnie Ross to left drove in Atchison. Daniels brought in Denson with a single to right centerfield, and a single by Henry Baker drove in Theolopis Smith to give the Hornets a 7-2 lead.

A walk by Ethan Wendall was all of the offense for the Mustangs in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

The Hornets went quietly through the top half of the seventh inning and the Mustangs were down to their final three outs.

A single by Carroll to start the inning got the Mustangs off on the right path, but a strikeout and a fly ball to centerfield knocked Isabella down to their final out.

A Mims single up the middle scored Carroll, and a Mathis single with a walk by Parker loaded the bases for the Mustangs.

With Patterson in the batter’s box for Isabella and facing a 1-2 count, Hornets catcher Atchison fired the pitch from Paul Daniels down to third base for a pick off that ended the game and forced the Mustangs to continue their search for their first win of the young season.

Jacob Davis pitched six innings while recording six strikeouts, a walk, seven hits, and allowing one earned run for Isabella.

Carroll led the Mustangs at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance with three singles.