Unlike last year, there was no last-inning, home-field advantage for St Aloysius here in a deciding third game of a first round Class 1A playoff series against Bogue Chitto.

The Lady Flashes (12-7) could not get the big hit and their season ended with a 3-1 loss to Bogue Chitto Tuesday afternoon at Bazinsky Field. The Lady Bobcats (17-7) advance to a second-round series Thursday against Nanih Waiya.

St. Al coach Gene Rogillio saw his team strand runners in scoring position in the third and fifth innings. Bogue Chitto pitcher Kelli Howard then retired the last six batters she faced to close it out.

“If you get the hit you’re a hero and if you don’t, you don’t,” Rogillio said. “I thought Sarah (Franco’s) was going into the hole but they’ve got speed in the outfield. They have three Taylor George’s in their outfield.”

Franco ripped what appeared to be a leadoff blast that had extra bases written all over it. But Bogue Chitto’s Shaquille Burton made a running grab to deny Franco the hit. Howard then struck out Catelyn Park and got Mallory McGuffee to ground out to third to end the game.

St. Al’s best chances, though, came in the third and fifth innings when two were on and it still trailed only 2-1.

McGuffee had doubled with two outs in the third and then went to third base after a hit by Sara Howington. Howard recovered by getting George to pop up to second for the third out.

In the fifth, Franco walked and Park delivered a bunt hit to put two on. With two outs, Howington moved the runners over when her ground ball to short was booted. Rogillio brought up pinch-hitter Haley Heggins, but Howard got her out on a grounder back to the mound.

Bogue Chitto got its three runs off nine hits against Franco (10-5) pitching record. The Lady Bobcats scored one in the first off a RBI walk from Darcy Miller and then got another run in the second on Josie Porter’s RBI double.

In between, St. Al got its lone run in the bottom half of the first when McGuffee singled in Franco, who had reached on a third-strike wild pitch.

Bogue Chitto got a big insurance run in the seventh when Miller singled and then went to third on Mikki Mitchell’s sacrifice. She scored on St. Al’s fourth error of the game.

“It was good to get that insurance run,” Bogue Chitto coach Scott Leggett said. “It was still a tight game but we were able to stay calm and cool. Sarah Franco is a really great player for them and we’re glad to get by her and move on.”

Franco finished with six strikeouts. She beat Bogue Chitto 3-1 in Game 1 of the best-of-three series at Bogue Chitto on Saturday. The Lady Bobcats then won Game 2, 10-0.

Porter had three hits in Game 3. McGuffee and Park had two each for St. Al.

“We did good on the season, but now I lose my whole outfield,” Rogillio said. “I think we’ve got some young ninth graders who will need to step up.”