KEOKUK — Brylie Lorence staked Fort Madison to a 3-0 lead in the Bloodhounds Southeast Conference softball game with Keokuk High School Thursday.The Bloodhounds added six runs in the second inning and seven in the fourth inning of the mercy rule win over the Chiefs, 16-4.

Lorence was the third batter after Jordyn Marshall, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, had singled and Olvia Buckner walked. Lorence connected on a two-ball, one strike pitch and sent it over the fence.

“It was one of her curves and it was on the outside half of the plate so that’s my perfect spot. I love it there right in the middle,” Lorence said. “It went out deep to left center. They had to go dig it out of the trees.”

Lorence was 2-for-3 in the game with five RBIs as she added a two-run single in the fourth inning.

Lorence faced a new pitcher on that at bat as Kylie Sisk replaced Keokuk starter Gracie Thompson. Thompson had given up 14 hits, 14 runs (eight earned), four walks with two strikeouts. Sisk recorded the last two outs after giving up another hit.

“Kylie came in and did all right,” Keokuk coach Tim Thompson said. “Facing the girl who hit a homer earlier for her first batter was tough but if you’re not ready, you better be.”

Emma Snaadt pitched all four innings and gave up four runs, all in the third inning, four hits, three walks with two strikeouts for FMHS.

Fort Madison made two errors, an improvement from eight in the last game played.

“We’ve been working on our defense so it was good to see,” FMHS coach Kyle Doherty said. “I like how we responded.”

Lorence said the offense was a focus of the team as well.

“We wanted to go out there and get 20 runs on them fast as we could,” she said. “That was our goal.”

Another goal has yet to be.

“We’ve had a lot of practice on defense, trying to get rid of our one bad inning,” Lorence said. “We still had one, but it wasn’t as bad. Our pitchers rely on defense so we’ve been working on it nonstop.”

Lorence did her part offensively to help Snaadt out.

“It’s nice to get that lead right away and we will still work hard, but I think it takes some of the pressure off.”

Ava Taylor was 3-for-3 and Bloodhound teammates Ava Fuget, Kylie Lumino, and Laci Gathers all had two hits.

The Chiefs scored four runs in an inning that started with two Bloodhounds errors.

Sisk (who also had a double), Ada Wood and Thompson then hit consecutive singles followed by a walk and a fielder’s choice then a ground out ended the inning.

“I think we’ve had a lot of games where we were selling ourselves short,” Coach Thompson said. “It’s getting tougher to right the ship but at this point what do we have to lose? I think the girls are feeling the pressure of the way the season is going. We just have to have some fun this last part of the season and regroup and be a spoiler “

Keokuk is 2-16, 1-7 SEC and plays two games Saturday at Cardinal of Eldon, one against Cardinal, one against Columbus.

Fort Madison (7-7, 5-4 SEC) plays at Fairfield Monday in a doubleheader.