SILOAM SPRINGS -- The Siloam Springs softball team ended a tough week on a positive note.

The Lady Panthers scratched out a 6-4 nonconference win against Gravette on Friday at La-Z-Boy Park on the heels of starting 0-2 in 7A/6A-West Conference play earlier in the week.

Siloam Springs (7-6, 0-2 7A/6A-West) dropped losses at Rogers Heritage and against Bentonville at home on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.

"First of all I just feel good about our kids bouncing back and not letting the game (Thursday) night affect them," said Siloam Springs head coach Scott Wright, referring to the 10-0 loss to Bentonville on Thursday. "We fought all the way through this one, and Gravette's a good team. They're always tough, and they're well-coached. We had to battle all the way through."

The Lady Panthers took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning when they took advantage of Lady Lions mistakes to score four runs.

Trailing 3-2, Heidi Fernandez led off the bottom of the inning with a walk and Haley Hunt reached on an error by Gravette shortstop Ashleigh Horn.

Haley Littlejohn then hit a soft ground ball back up the middle, and Fernandez was called safe at third base when the home plate umpire ruled Gravette third baseman Samantha Pruitt bobbled the ball trying to get the force out.

Gravette coach Taos Jones argued the call but to no avail.

"It was an extra out, but that's not an excuse for the situation we had ourselves in," Jones said. "I saw it one way. He saw it another. That's fine. That's the way it goes."

With the bases loaded and nobody out, sophomore Morgan Curtis drew a bases-loaded walk from Gravette pitcher Lindsee LeBrecque to tie the game 3-3.

Two batters later, Abi Sislo also walked with the bases loaded to give the Lady Panthers a 4-3 lead. Sierra Ferguson followed with a two-run bloop single to right scoring Littlejohn and Curtis for a 6-3 lead.

Freshman Crissa Spry, who had relieved Haley Hunt in the circle in the fifth inning, pitched a scoreless sixth inning and gave up a solo home run to LeBrecque in the seventh to close out the game.

Spry (3-1) pitched three innings and gave up four hits and one earned run. Hunt gave up one run in four innings of work to start the game.

Gravette scored the first run of the game in the first when Jaye Chalk walked and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Horn.

The Lady Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the second when Sislo singled and courtesy runner Spry came around to score on a RBI single by Leslie Perry. Ferguson, who was hit by a pitch, came around to score aided by a pair of Gravette errors.

The Lady Lions got the lead back in the fifth 3-2 off Spry. Megan McAfee singled, moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Abbi Krewson and then moved to third on an illegal pitch by Spry. LeBrecque's RBI single tied the game and she gave the Lady Lions the lead when she scored on a dropped by fly ball in right field by Fernandez.

Offensively, Curtis led the Lady Panthers at the plate going 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. Ferguson was 1 for 2 with two RBIs, while Sislo and Perry each had a base hit and an RBI.

LeBrecque led Gravette offensively with two hits and two RBIs. Her home run in the seventh was her second of the year.

Siloam Springs is now off until April 1 when they resume conference play at Springdale.

"I liked the way our girls responded today, and we got a good win," Wright said. "The best part about it is we're 7-6. We've still got a winning record. Going into spring break and coming off of it, we ought to feel good about ourselves and be able to carry some momentum going into that next week when we start with Springdale on April 1."

Siloam Springs 6, Gravette 4

Gravette^100^020^1^--^4^5^3

Siloam Springs^020^040^X^--^6^6^2

LeBrecque and Miller; Hunt, Spry (5) and Sislo, Curtis (5). W - Spry, 3-1. L - LeBrecque, 4-4. HR - Gravette, LeBrecque (2).