MARION (Crawford County Now) — Most young teams go through ups and downs as they gain experience.

Bucyrus had one of those early season downs at Harding High School Saturday.

After rallying to beat Plymouth on Tuesday, the Lady Red bats went silent as the Lady Prexies used a pair of two-run innings to blank Bucyrus, 4-0.

Harding pitcher Allison Hecker scattered five hits, striking out five and walking just one in going the distance.

“Their pitcher kept us off balance all day,” Bucyrus coach Mike Middleton said. “We usually hit the ball harder than we did. Today, we couldn’t get th ball out of the infield.”

Lady Red pitcher Karlee Shull threw well enough to win on many days. The senior right-hander struck out four and walked four, while being touched for five hits.

After three scoreless frames, Harding (1-4) was able to get to Shull for two runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings.

Makaylee Dye led off the fourth with a single, stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch. Macey Harper walked and stole second to put runners at second and third.

After a strikeout, Patyn Smith hit a pop-up just behind first base in shallow right field. Bucyrus second baseman Peyton Fackler made a diving catch, but the ball got pinned under her body.

Dye tagged and scored from third. Pinch runner Braelynn Gomez tagged and moved to third, then decided to try to score. She slid under the relay tag for a two-run sacrifice fly to second base.

“We catch a ball, they score two runs on a sac (fly),” Middleton said. “That hurt.”

The Prexies got two more in the four with the aid of an error. Kennedy Davis led off with a single and stole second. Lilliana King was safe on an error which also scored Davis, who then came around on a double by Alexis Baker.

Bucyrus (1-2) had few opportunities to score but couldn’t get the timely hit. Haylee Stratton doubled with two out in the first inning and moved to third on a single by Ni’Cia Floyd. A ground out ended the inning.

In the fifth, Lillyan Butchko led off with a single and worked her way to third before a fly ball to center ended the frame.

One of the defensive gems by Harding (1-4) was made in the sixth to prevent the start of a Lady Red rally. Leftfielder Davis made a catch diving to her left on drive by Floyd.

“Kennedy Davis is a phenomenal leftfielder, and she did a great job,” Harding assistant coach Mackenzie Corbin said.

“A couple of balls we did hit hard they made some really nice plays on,” Middleton said. “The diving catch by the leftfielder was a great play. We hit it right at them, they made plays.”

Floyd had a pair of singles to lead the Lady Red. Stratton had a double, while Butchko and Tori Stang singled.

Baker’s double was the big blow for the Prexies. Davis, King, Dye, and Kendall Allen all singled.

“Defense kept us in it, for the most part, throughout the game,” Middleton said.

Bucyrus enters Northern 10 Athletic Conference play on Tuesday, hosting Upper Sandusky. Harding travels to Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference foe Highland, also on Tuesday.

Box score

Bucyrus    000 000 0         0       5       2

Harding    000 220 X         4       5       0

WP: Allison Hecker (5 SO, 1 W)

LP: Karlee Shull (4 SO, 4 W)

HR: None.

Triples: None.

Doubles: (B) Haylee Stratton; (MH) Alexis Baker.

Multiple hits: (B) Ni’Cia Floyd.

Records: Bucyrus 1-2; Marion Harding 1-4.

Next: Upper Sandusky at Bucyrus, Tuesday; Marion Harding at Highland, Tuesday.