TIFTON — Tift County played Pierce County evenly for six innings of softball action Saturday afternoon, but a four-run first inning was the decider in a 7-3 Lady Bears win.

The game was part of Tift County’s “Diamond Day,” which saw Pierce and Morgan County all play two games in the round-robin event. The Lady Devils were slated to play Morgan later Saturday. Pierce won the opening game over Morgan, 16-6.

Meaghan Taylor struck out five in a complete game effort, scattering seven hits after Pierce took a 4-0 lead.

The Lady Devils posted a single run in the fourth inning, then put the visitors on their toes during a seventh frame rally.

Down 7-1 going into their final at-bat, Alaina Stephens picked up Tift’s spirits with a leadoff single over shortstop, which was followed two batters later by the same from Ragen Lasseter. That brought up Lacoria Campbell and Tift’s flex player drilled a double down the third base line, scoring both runners.

Alayna Davis followed with an infield single off the second baseman’s glove, but pitcher Natalie Herrin buckled down and recorded two straight outs to preserve the win.

Fresh off of its pounding of Morgan County, Pierce continued the momentum with the first four runners reaching against the Tift.

Kaylee Allen began the game with a single and moved up a base when Mackenzie Davis walked. Parker Smith then singled for the Lady Bears, but Allen was thrown out at the plate by Emily Henderson, Morgen Ray applying the tag. That temporarily stopped Pierce, but Davis scored on an error. The bases quickly loaded for Tristen Blocker and she delivered a bases-clearing triple.

Tift scored its first run in the third on Ray’s sacrifice fly, which scored Henderson. Henderson started the frame with a single.

Pierce added three runs to its total in the fourth on three doubles. Liza Ambrose led off with one and her courtesy runner, Natalee Griffin, came around on a single by Davis. Back-to-back doubles by Smith and Megan Cason upped the score to 7-1.

Kaylee Cravey started in the circle for the Lady Bears, but came out of the game with an injury in the third inning. Herrin pitched the rest of the way.

Lasseter led Tift with two hits. Campbell (2) and Ray drove in runs.

Friday, the Lady Devils notched their second win of the season in a 3-0 victory over Taylor County at the Watermelon Invitational in Cordele. Abi Sumner gave up three hits in a complete game victory, striking out six.

Campbell, Meg Branch and Paige Hill drove in runs, Lasseter, Davis and Josie Bullington scoring them.

In Friday’s nightcap, Bainbridge won Tift, 5-0, a game head coach Kyle Kirk said was a good effort for his team.

Tift is scheduled to visit Veterans High of Kathleen Monday and has a home game scheduled against Crisp County at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.