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TURNER — Hailey Cyr’s hustle helped Leavitt get on the scoreboard and get an edge in its showdown against Medomak Valley.

Panthers pitcher Sidney Nichols was dealing, having struck out six in a row after hitting the first batter of the game. In the bottom of the third, Cyr appeared to be the seventh straight strikeout, but a dropped third strike gave her a second chance, and she took advantage by sprinting to first base and beating the throw.

“I saw, you know, where the ball was, but I wasn’t 100% sure,” Cyr said. “I knew the minute I touched first base, I didn’t hear the ball hit the glove, so I was there.”

Then, with two outs, freshman Reese Bilodeau sent a line drive to center field for a inside-the-park two-run home run.

Those were all the runs Leavitt needed to claim a 2-1 victory over the Panthers in a battle of undefeated Class B South softball teams Monday.

“I just try to swing early because I know her timing and her speed was fast,” Bilodeau said.

Pitching duel

• In a duel between two of B South’s top pitchers, Cyr had 11 strikeouts, allowed three hits and walked two, while Nichols struck out 13 and gave up two hits.

• Medomak Valley had an opportunity during the top of the first when Cyr walked the first two batters and an error put a runner on third, but Cyr struck out two in a row to end the threat.

“We should have capitalized on that, but nobody could get a bat on the ball,” Panthers coach Richard Vannah said.

• Before Bilodeau’s big hit, she helped Cyr defensively in the top of the third by catching two fly balls in right field.

• Medomak Valley’s run came on a towering homer by Arianna Sproul that cleared the left-field fence in the top of the sixth.

What does it mean?

• The Hornets improve to 7-0 and move to the top of the B Heal point standings, while the Panthers are now 8-1 and sit in third.

• Vannah is looking forward to the rematch on May 28 in Waldoboro.

“Sidney pitched a heck of a game, and the girls couldn’t get on,” Vannah said. “Hailey, she pitched a really good game, too, so it took us a while to get on to her, and we finally got a couple of base hits or whatever late. … We’ll keep working. We’ll see them again in a couple of weeks.”

They said it

• “It was huge. I don’t think that they have beaten Medomak in the past two seasons, so it was one of those things that they had the nerves coming out, they had their past experience, and they just needed to shake it out a little bit, which they did really well.” — First-year Leavitt coach Laura Reny

• “She almost lapped me. I knew, two outs, I was running, but I was trying to reduce my energy because I knew I had to go back out and pitch, so I wasn’t trying to sprint all the way. And I turned around and I saw Reese running too, and I was like, I got to get on my horse.” — Hailey Cyr

Next up

• Medomak Valley: at Gardiner (2-5), 4 p.m. Wednesday.

• Leavitt: at Morse (1-6), 4 p.m. Wednesday