MANSFIELD, Texas – Drury's 7th inning rally was cut short as the Panthers fell to East Central 7-6 in game three of the Lone Star Classic on Saturday evening in Texas.
 
Drury would strike first in the bottom of the second inning. Gabrielle Bax would be hit by the pitch to give the Panthers their first runner of the inning. Bax would advance to second on a Kaley Adzick ground out. Two pitches later, Claire Nelson would record her first career RBI on a single to left field to score Bax from second.
 
Avery Budde got the start for Drury in the circle, and she was dealing in the first five innings. She did not allow a Tiger hit until the fourth inning, the only East Central hit until the sixth.
 
East Central broke through in the sixth inning with a lead-off double followed by a sac bunt to advance the runner to third. The Tigers would tie it at one a pitch later on the Brooklyn Charnock double. An error in the field for the Panthers put two runners on for the new pitcher, Natalie Wilks. Wilks would go on to give up an RBI double, walk, and an RBI single in the top of the sixth to give East Central a 3-1 advantage.
 
The Tigers poured on in the top of the seventh with four more runs. Kaley Adzick would enter the game from the bullpen after all four were scored and was able to get the final two outs of the inning, the final out a caught stealing from Claire Nelson's arm behind the plate.
 
Trailing 7-1 with three outs left, Drury did not lay down. The freshman, Nelson, led off with her third hit of the day, a single up the middle. Reece Anderson would be hit by the pitch, and Kelsey Palmer, pinch-hitting, would reach on a fielder's choice to load the bases for Landry Cochran. Cochran drew a seven-pitch walk to score Nelson. Following a Kenna Trower sac fly and Haley Bryant's two RBI single, ECU made a change in the circle to Bailey Melton. Melton got Avery Budde to ground out but not before advancing Bryant to second. Gabrielle Bax would dig into the box with Drury down 7-5 and single to left field to score Bryant and make it a one-run game. Bax would advance to second on the throw to the plate. After a wild pitch put Bax on third with two outs, Kaley Adzick was due. Adzick would work a first-pitch ball but would then pop out to second base to end Drury's rally one run short.
 
GAME NOTES

• Claire Nelson led Drury offensively, going 3 for 3 with one RBI and one run scored.
• Haley Bryant and Gabrielle Bax each added two hits to the Drury effort against East Central.
• Bryant had two RBIs in the game, the most for the Panthers.
• Each of Landry Cochran, Kenna Trower, Gabrielle Bax, and Claire Nelson drove in one run.
• Avery Budde was given the loss in her 5.1 innings pitched. She allowed three runs, two earned, and three hits. Budde struck out five, a career high.
• East Central's Kennedy Lord had three hits and two RBIs. Lord also stole two bases.
• Nevaeh Richmond-Huzarevich scored two runs in the Tigers' win.
• Amera Garner pitched six innings, allowing eight hits, four runs, and struck out three. She was the winning pitcher for East Central.
• Bailey Melton recorded her first save of the season.
• Errors hurt Drury. The Panthers had four errors in the loss, the most in a game since April 18, 2025, at UMSL.
• Drury out-hit East Central, ten hits to eight, and was better with two outs, five hits to two.
• The Panthers were four for six leading off an inning with one walk.

 
UP NEXT
The Panthers finish the Lone Star Classic on Sunday with games against Midwestern State and Southern Arkansas starting at 11:15 am.
 
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