Bryan County had one of its worst fielding days of the season and that, combined with a 13-strikeout performance by Pepperell’s Caroline Morgan, led to a 4-0 loss for the Redskins in the opening round of the GHSA Class A-D1 state softball tournament Wednesday in Columbus.

The loss dropped the Redskins (20-7-1) into a loser’s bracket game at 5 p.m. Thursday against Prince Avenue Christian which lost to Bacon County, 6-2. The loser will go home in the double elimination tournament.

Morgan walked one while limiting Bryan County to only four hits, two by Bekah Johnson. The Dragons (22-2) will play Bacon County at 1 p.m. Thursday.

Hayden Joyner turned in a strong performance for Bryan County as she gave up only six hits while striking out seven and walking two.

One of those walks proved to be costly, however, as it came with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the fourth inning. That run turned out to be all Pepperell needed but the Dragons put the game out of reach with a three-run outburst in the fifth.

Pepperrell got to Joyner for two hits in the fifth, but the Redskins hurt themselves as they committed three of their five errors in the inning to give the Dragons more help than they needed.

Bryan County was able to mount only one threat and that came in sixth when Johnson and Joyner had back-to-back singles with one out only to be left stranded. The Redskins’ only other hit came in the fourth when freshman shortstop Liz Harvey singled with one out and Amber Gray drew a walk in the second.