SEARCY --- It was a tale of two games for the Marion softball team on Tuesday afternoon at Searcy. Unfortunately, the ball didn't bounce their way in either one. Searcy exploded for nine runs over the first two innings in the lid-lifter, coasting to an 11-1 victory in five innings. But Marion responded through adversity in the nightcap, scoring the first two runs of the game, before allowing five runs in the fifth to Searcy, before a seventh-inning rally came up just short in a 6-5 loss. The Lions scored nine times in the first two innings of the first game, but the Marion (2-6 overall, 0-2 5A East) bats hit the comeback trail in the top of the third when junior Jordyn Stinson singled before giving way to courtesy runner Alexis Jones, who stole second and third base before scoring on an errant throw to introduce Marion to the runs column. But that was all the Marion offense could produce in the first contest. The Patriots came up with seven hits, including 2-3 batting afternoons for freshmen Kolbie Triplett and Kayson “K. Belle” McClain. Kelsey Eppes, Kendall Eppes, and Stinson accounted for Marion's other hits in the first game. Game No. 2 was chock full of drama from the word go, as Marion struck immediately for a run in the bottom of the first. The rally began when Triplett struck a single to the left side and scored on another clutch Stinson hit as the Pats took a 1-0 lead to the second inning. Marion conjured up some two-out magic in the third, when Triplett singled again, and scored from second on Stinson's second RBI single of the second game, her third of the day, and Marion led 2-0. Searcy struck back with five runs in the fifth, but Marion got one back in the home half of that frame when sophomore Olivia “Liv” Morquecho doubled to left and scored on a Triplett base hit to move Marion within 5-3. The Lions tallied another run in the sixth, and the 6-3 margin lasted until the bottom of the seventh when Marion went back to work. The Marion uprising began with one out as senior Ella McConnell singled to left, and Morquecho followed with a single, bringing the tying run to the dish with just one out. McClain brought courtesy runner Alli “Gator” Sharp to the plate with a ringing double as the Pats crawled within 6-4, and the Triplett got Marion within 6-5 when her single plated Morquecho. Following a strikeout, Searcy intentionally walked Stinson with McClain at third and Triplett on second before the Lions slammed the door by inducing a ground out to earn a dramatic victory. WHAT'S NEXT? Marion hosts Lonoke on Thursday afternoon for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch. That game will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel. The Pats jump back into league play on Tuesday, March 26 when they host the Valley View Blazers. 5A EAST RESULTS FROM 3/12 Searcy 11, Marion 1 (five innings) Searcy 6, Marion 5 Valley View 1, W. Memphis 0 Valley View 8, W. Memphis 0 Paragould 14, Batesville 0 Paragould 12, Batesville 0 Greene Co. Tech 3, Nettleton 2 Nettleton 12, Greene Co. Tech 2 5A EAST STANDINGS SCHOOL CONF. RECORD Valley View 2-0 Paragould 2-0 Searcy 2-0 Nettleton 1-1 Greene Co. Tech 1-1 Marion 0-2 Batesville 0-2 W. Memphis 0-2 5A EAST DOUBLEHEADERS ON 3/26 Valley View at Marion Paragould at Greene Co. Tech W. Memphis at Batesville Nettleton at Searcy