After winning the district by defeating rival Upperman in the finals in Watertown last week, the Tigerettes returned home Monday night and claimed a first round win in regional play Monday night, topping Marion County 15-5.

The win advances the local softball squad into the next round where it will travel to face Sequatchie County in Dunlap tonight. The win against Marion County also assured at least two more games this season.

Things didn’t get off to an ideal start for the home team as Marion County started the top of the first by plating two runs. However, the Tigerettes answered in the bottom half of the inning as Kinzie France sent a towering home run shot over the centerfield fence, scoring two runners who were on base thanks to early walks by the Marion pitcher.

With the game knotted at three, the pitchers took over, both hurling two consecutive scoreless innings with DeKalb going down 1-2-3 in the third.

The fourth was a different story. After giving up a lead-off double to the visitors in the top of the fourth, DeKalb was able to get out of the inning without giving up a run. The defensive momentum boiled over into the home half of the inning as Allison Maynard stepped to the plate and fired a shot over the fence, scoring a runner to make the count 5-3.

The onslaught was just beginning as the Tigerettes began a merry-go-round on the base paths, capped when France blasted another home run out of the park to finish an eight-run inning and give her team an 11-3 advantage. Marion would walk France the next time she came to bat.

Marion County was able to muster a couple of runs in the top of the fifth to make it 11-5. France, who was credited with the win, was relieved by Madison Whitehead in the top of the sixth. The end came in the sixth with a Kristena Bain double which scored two runners and gave the Tigerettes a 10-run advantage, meaning the game was stopped via run rule.