BUDE — After rallying from an early deficit to take a 4-2 lead, the Franklin County High School Bulldogs needed another comeback to defeat the pesky Loyd Star Hornets team 5-4 in eight innings Saturday afternoon.

The Hornets tied the game at 4-4 with a two-run rally of its own in the top of the sixth inning, but neither team could bring in the game-winning run in the seventh inning, so the game went into extra innings.

After winning pitcher Chris Cantrell held Loyd Star scoreless in the top of the eighth inning, the Bulldogs finally scored the game-winning run off losing pitcher Peyton Flowers in the bottom of the eighth to snap a two-game losing skid. Cantrell came on in relief of starting pitcher Ethan Verdin and pitched three and one-third scoreless innings on just one hit and one walk with two strikeouts.

Peyton Flowers was charged with the loss after allowing one run on three hits. He struck out one batter and walked none.

Verdin got off to a rough start, allowing two runs in the top of the first inning. However, he settled down and threw three straight scoreless innings of his own. That allowed Franklin County to not only stay in the game, but eventually grab its first lead of the game. The Bulldogs scored one run each in the bottom of the second and third innings to tie the game at 2-2, then scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 4-2.

Then the Hornets got to Verdin once again and he could not make it out of the fifth inning after allowing two more runs. Verdin went four and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on three hits and four walks and he struck out three batters.

Derick Brumfield went 2-for-4 with a double and one run batted in. Hoby Mullins went 2-for-3 while Bernard Selmon had a double and two RBIs, Bryce White had a double and one RBI, and Graham Cowart had a double for the Bulldogs, who overcame four errors by pounding out 11 hits. Levi Redd went 2-for-4 with one RBI for the Hornets.

Loyd Star used three pitchers in the game, going with what turned out to be a 3-3-2 format. Parker Flowers got the start and allowed two runs on four hits, one walk and two hit batters and he struck out just one batter in three innings. Caleb Yarborough came on in relief and went three innings, giving up two runs, both earned, on four hits and one walk to go with four strikeouts.

Franklin County (7-4) next plays at 6 p.m. Monday at Adams County Christian School.