PLYMOUTH — Trailing by five runs in the bottom of the seventh, Plymouth rallied against Riverside to cut the deficit to 9-7, but could not get any closer as they fell to the Four Rivers Conference rival Knights on Tuesday.

It was another near miss for the Vikings , whose tremendous offensive attack could not make up for the deficit created by its seven errors on defense.

Riverside continually put pressure on the Plymouth fielders as it struck out only twice on throughout the entire ball game and received production from seemingly everybody in the lineup as it improve to a conference-leading 13-4 (10-1).

The Knights had eight players get hits against Vikings (5-12, 1-9) ace Brooke Gurganus, while five players recorded RBIs. Courtney Wynn led the offensive as she went 1-4 with a two-run home run and a sac fly, while Joanna Askew was 2-2 with two RBIs.

Riverside had an inconstant day in the field as it made a few big plays but also committed three errors. Caroline Tetterton pitched 6 1-3 innings to get the win, but was removed in the seventh after giving up a two-run double to Plymouth cleanup hitter Makayla Mizell that cut the lead to 9-6.

Sam Lilley came out of the bullpen and let up one run and recorded the final two outs to get the save.

After the game Riverside coach Richie Ange said he was not thrilled with his team’s performance.

“I thought we would have come out more prepared to play than what we did,” Riverside coach Richie Ange said. “(Plymouth) played well and we just kind of made some mistakes and I just wasn’t really happy with the way we played.”

Ange said the balanced production has been a reoccurring theme for his team.

“That’s kind of the way its been all year,” Ange said. “We got some key contributions from everybody up and down the order. It’s not surprising as far as today’s game because that’s just the way its been.”

Riverside took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Askew delivered an RBI single that plated Ashley Mobley. The Knights went up 2-0 the next inning thanks to a Wynn sacrifice fly that allowed Tetterton to cross home plate. In the fourth, they extended their lead to 3-0 on a Lilley RBI single that scored Rachel Baker.

In the bottom of the fourth, Plymouth finally got to Tetterton as Mizell smashed a booming RBI triple that reached the center field fence. Mizell would later come home on a fielder’s choice grounder to cut the lead to 3-2.

Riverside responded with back-to-back three run innings that was aided by five Vikings’ errors and was highlighted by RBI singles from Mobley and Askew, as well as Wynn’s two-run, inside-the-park home run.

Trailing 9-4 in the seventh, Plymouth started the inning with a single by Megan Kelly, who was forced out on second on a fielder’s choice grounder by Diamond Davis. Brooke Gurganus followed with a single, and advance to second when the Knights attempted to get Davis out at third. Both runners would be safe, leaving Mizell to come to the plate with runners on second and third and one out.

With first base open, Riverside opted to pitch to Mizell and she made the Knights pay as she drilled a two-run single that made it a 9-6 ball game.

After changing pitchers, the Knights allowed one more run before closing the door on Plymouth’s rally.

“I’m proud of the girls. They have played from behind it seems like in most of the games this year and they have never quit. They have always fought back,” Plymouth coach Chris Kelly said.

While Kelly was proud of his team’s spirit, he acknowledged that it must play better defense.

“Today it really seemed to come back and bite us,” Kelly said. “It’s not just that play right then. That play will come back to haunt you later on in the game because you never know when we are going to come back and put up numbers like we did tonight and get it close. It’s something that has bit us before and it bit us today.”

The Vikings will look to rebound at home on Thursday against Camden, while the Knights will be at Northside.

Riverside 011 133 0 č 9 9 3

Plymouth 000 220 3 č 7 9 7

WP: Caroline Tetterton; LP: Brook Gurganus

Hitting: R č Dasia Moore 1-4 (2 R), Madison Brandon 1-4 (2B, RBI, R), Courtney Wynn (1-4, HR, 3 RBI), Ashley Mobley 1-4 (RBI, R), Rachel Baker 1-4 (2B, R), Joanna Askew 2-2 (2 RBI), Sam Lilley 1-4 (RBI), Caroline Tetterton 1-4 (R); P č Megan Kelly 1-4 (R), Brooke Gurganus 2-4 (HR, 2 RBI, 3 R), Makayla Mizell 3-4 (3 RBI, 3B, 2 R), Mackenzie Gurganus 1-4 (RBI), Desire Chesson 1-3.