A five-run first inning was too much for the Harlan County Lady Bears to overcome in an 11-5 loss Monday to visiting South Laurel in a rematch from last year’s 13th Region Tournament.

Chloe Taylor hit a three-run homer to highlight the first-inning explosion after Leslie DIxon and Mackenzie Powenski opened with singles against Harlan County starter Destinee Jenkins.

Dixon and Taylor each had three hits to lead the Lady Cardinals. Powenski, Kelsey Dezarn and Makayla Blair had two hits each.

Kacie Russell and Hannah Johnson each had a double and single for HCHS. Emily Long singled twice. Nikki Creech, Brandy Adams and Lainey Cox added one single each. Adams drove in three runs and Long drove in two.

Jenkins suffered the loss as she pitched four-plus innings. Russell gave up two hits in two shutout innings.

The 12-7 Lady Bears travel to Harlan on Thursday.

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Harlan County hit three home runs and earned two wins on Friday in the Mountain Softball Leader Classic at Hazard, rallying for an 8-5 win over Letcher Central and then coasting past Hazard 13-3.

The Lady Bears trailed 5-0 after four innings before scoring two runs in the sixth inning and five in the seventh.

Long, a sophomore catcher, led the Lady Bears with four hits in four at bats, including a home run and three singles. Adams added a triple and single. Russell singled twice. Johnson and Cox contributed one single each.

Russell earned the win with three shutout innings. Jenkins started and gave up five runs in four innings.

Long and Johnson each had a homer and single in the win over Hazard. Nikki Creech, Taylor Johnson, Jenkins, Rhileigh Alred and Shawnee Cress added one hit each. T.C. Somersall drove in two runs with a ground out and sacrifice fly.

Freshman Kerrigan Creech pitched a four-hitter to earn the win, striking out two and walking two.

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South Laurel 510 230 0 — 11 14 1

Harlan County 301 010 0 — 5 9 4

Gray and Dezarn; Jenkins, Russell (5) and Long. WP — Gray. LP — Jenkins (10-7).

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Harlan County 010 002 5 — 8 10 4

Letcher Central 030 200 0 — 5 5 2

Jenkins, Russell (5) and Long; Meade and McDougal. WP — Russell (1-0). LP — Meade.

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Harlan County 323 104 — 13 11 4

Hazard 003 000 — 3 4 5

Creech, Cornett (6) and Long; Holbrook and Howard. WP — Creech (1-0). LP — Holbrook.