Every time Billingsley scored early Thursday, Verbena found a way to answer.

However, the Bears’ four-run fifth inning proved to be the main difference in the 12-7 decision.

“We’re getting better,” said Billingsley head coach Todd Reese, who said his team also played solidly in a 4-1 loss Friday to reigning 1A state champs Sweet Water.

The young Billingsley team has just one senior and one junior on its roster.

Verbena’s a youthful team too, with only one senior and two juniors.

The Bears’ bats started strong, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning.

Verbena responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. Bay Lucas scored on a wild pitch, and Jacob Montgomery batted in Kelly Dorsett to tighten the score, 4-2.

The bats were mostly quiet in the second and third innings, behind the pitching of Verbena’s Christian Coston and Billingsley’s Donny Smith. A Montgomery single did bring in Coston to make the score to 4-3 in the bottom of the third.

Billingsley added two more runs in the fourth, with hits by Forrest Ousley, Garrett Price and Matt Prebula.

Verbena bounced back by scoring three runs to tie the game 6-6 in the bottom of the inning, but that’s as close as the home team would get.

The Bears’ four runs in the fifth proved too much for the Red Devils to overcome.