It’s always fun when Loyd Star and Bogue Chitto face off in a close, competitive softball game.

That didn’t happen last year as the Hornets from Loyd Star won the two Region 7-2A matchups by a combined 26-2 score over their Lincoln County rivals.

On Thursday, first year Bogue Chitto head coach Austin Hood and his young team battled but ultimately dropped a 2-0 loss to Loyd Star at BC.

The win moves the region leading Hornets and second year Loyd Star head coach John Smith to 13-4 on the season.

The teams played on Tuesday at Loyd Star, a game won 8-2 by Smith and his squad.

The low score on Thursday was a credit to both pitchers and the defense played behind them.

Loyd Star sophomore pitcher Layla “Lights Out” Burt struck out six in seven innings as she scattered six hits.

Burt gave up a leadoff single to start the first and second inning but never had a half inning where she allowed more than one Bobcat on the base paths. She also struck out six on Tuesday in the win.

Bogue Chitto eighth grade starting pitcher Jonna Claire Roberts was a worthy adversary as she gave up five hits and one earned run by striking out five. Roberts walked six as both teams committed one error each on the night.

Both sides played solid defensively, with Bogue Chitto turning a double play to end the top of the third, only to see Loyd Star end the bottom half of the same inning with a double play of its own.

The top of the third is when Loyd Star scored the first run of the game. Burt singled to start the frame and was replaced with courtesy runner Berkleigh Davis. An error on a bunt by the next Hornet, sophomore Adi Holcomb, scored Davis and put Loyd Star ahead 1-0.

BC kept another run from scoring to end the fifth when they ended the inning by throwing out a runner at home.

Loyd Star got an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Sophomore Maddie Kate Britt drew a leadoff walk and then later scored on a hard-hit single by Holcomb.

Holcomb finished with three of the seven hits for Loyd Star. Burt, senior Ainsley Gennaro, and eighth grader Chaney Williford also singled for the Hornets.

Bogue Chitto leadoff batter Abigail Holder had three of the six hits on the night for the Bobcats.

Seventh grader Harper Kyzar, sophomore Kylie Pittman, and freshman Raylee Chisolm all singled for Bogue Chitto.

Hood started two seventh graders, one eighth grader, one freshman, three sophomores, two juniors and zero seniors on Monday for Bogue Chitto.

The first-year coach, who twice led Enterprise baseball to the MHSAA 1A third round before coming to BC, is bullish on the future of Bobcat softball as the younger Cats have grown a ton already this year.

“I knew we would have some up and down moments this year and we’d experience some growing pains because we are so young,” said Hood. “They’re starting to see that we’ve got what it takes to compete with anybody and I’m seeing their confidence grow. Jonna Claire has a toughness and a grittiness about her when she’s pitching and she was solid against a good ball team tonight.”

Bogue Chitto (6-12, 1-3) split with West Lincoln in an earlier region series. The Bobcats lost 15-10 and won 13-7, which gives them a run-rule tiebreaker over West Lincoln for second place in Region 7-2A.

Loyd Star isn’t exactly an old team either, as they have a five-player senior class in Gennaro, Arry Anna Rushing, Avery Sellers, Madison McKinzie, and Xia Townsend.

Underclassmen like Burt and Britt have played a ton of varsity softball already in their careers though as the Hornets were definitely the preseason favorites in Region 7-2A after winning the division for the sixth straight season last year.

The goal is to keep winning as the regular season heads into the final two weeks for Smith and his team.

“Hats off to Bogue Chitto and Coach Hood, they played great defensively tonight and made us earn it,” said Smith. “Layla was really comfortable tonight and had all of her pitches working. We just want to keep this momentum going in the right direction over these next couple weeks.”

Assisting Smith this season at Loyd Star are coaches Catherine Wilson and Kaylin Lofton. Hood is helped by assistant coaches Gracie Guynes and Hali Reed.

Loyd Star will look to stay atop the division when they play West Lincoln at home on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The teams will then meet again on Thursday at West Lincoln.

Bogue Chitto is scheduled to play in the West Lincoln Tournament on Saturday and will play at Amite County on Thursday in its next Region 7-2A game.