Racking up more errors than hits will usually lead to defeat. That was exactly the case Tuesday afternoon when the Decatur High School softball team made the short trip to Bowie.

The Lady Eagles, who have been error-prone all season, accumulated a season-high nine errors against the district's top team. There were not enough innings in the game to make up the difference on offense as they lost 9-5 to the Jackrabbits.

The game came down to one inning - the second. That's when Decatur scattered six of those errors via wild throws and dropped popped flies.

Bowie did not have to work hard to make DHS pay for those mistakes. The hosts scored six times - five of which were unearned - to take a lead that was never threatened.

The loss dropped Decatur to 3-3 in District 8-3A play and 13-12 for the season. Bowie maintained its league lead by moving to 7-0 and 18-2.

Decatur coach Scott McTee got the kind of start he wanted. Lacy Oates led off the first inning with a walk, stole two bases and eventually scored after a double by Mercy Staley to give the team a 1-0 lead.

The advantage held for one inning. DHS pitcher Megan Dittrich, who had a good game despite no strikeouts and a struggling defense behind her, was untouched in Bowie's first plate appearance.

The Jackrabbits made the most of every DHS gift in the second inning. A lead-off double by Megan Workman followed by a single set up a disastrous inning for Decatur.

Six straight fielding miscues allowed the entire Bowie lineup to make a plate appearance as it scored six runs before the dust settled. J.J. Addington ended the frustration when she tagged a runner out at home to end the inning with her team down 6-1.

The Lady Eagles showed some new life after a vocal meeting with McTee between innings. Dittrich and her defense returned 10 of the next 12 Bowie batters to keep things quiet.

Decatur also showed some small signs of offensive life with a solo run in the fourth inning. Dittrich walked and made her way to third on a sacrifice by Karen Harris and scored thanks to a single by Kayla Slimp to make it 6-2.

The Lady Eagles continued to chip away at the deficit in the fifth inning with one more run to make it 6-3. Oates led off with a single, stole second, was sacrificed to third base and scored on a deep hit by Addington.

The rally hopes were crushed in the bottom of the sixth inning where DHS' eighth and ninth errors of the night led to three more Bowie runs which made it a 9-3 game.

Lyndsey Hicks and Oates gave Decatur some small hope in the last inning with back-to-back singles. They both scored on a mammoth double by Addington that pegged the center field wall to make it 9-5.