Williamstown’s Jensen Hall is all smiles as she prepares to be mobbed by teammates following a three-run homer in the bottom of the first, which helped the host ‘Jackets hand Parkersburg South a 10-8 setback Thursday evening. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

WILLIAMSTOWN — Jensen Hall’s three-run blast in the first inning helped host Williamstown bolt out to a 9-2 lead here Thursday evening as the Yellowjackets had to hold off Parkersburg South for a 10-8 triumph to split the regular season series.

Lindsey Keller finished with a trio of strikeouts and went the distance to earn the mound victory for head coach Ron Stanley’s squad, which improved to 2-5 and plays a home twinbill against Grafton (noon) and Buffalo (4 p.m.) on Saturday.

The Patriots of skipper Tim Burch, who dropped to 4-1 and plays at 5:30 p.m. today at Ripley, staked starter and losing pitcher Emma Johnson to a 2-0 lead.

Becca Beatty opened the game by reaching on an error. After Taylor Lamp walked, Brooklin Whitehead hit a sacrifice fly. Kara Snyder’s run-scoring single followed. Despite issuing free passes to Brylee Hatcher and Siann Daniels to load the bases, Keller worked her way out of it by getting Emma Kuhl to hit a hard grounder to first baseman Kiersten Kerby to end the inning.

Johnson issued walks to leadoff hitter Ava Johnson and No. 3 hitter Kamryn Haynes. After Keller reached on a fielder’s choice, Kerby delivered a run-scoring single back up the box. Although the Patriots recorded an out when Lexi Sivard hit into a fielder’s choice, Hall followed with her round-tripper.

The Yellowjackets started the second with a walk by No. 9 hitter Keatyn Haynes, which prompted coach Burch to put Alexi Dellinger in the circle. After a Johnson sacrifice, Kameron Beck hit an RBI double down the left-field line. Kamryn Haynes then walked and scored on Kerby’s two-out, two-run, two-bagger to right-center. Hall’s RBI single gave the hosts a seven run lead.

PSHS left Beatty stranded at third in the second and left runners on first and second in each of the next two frames. In the fourth, Jaiden Vargas drilled a shot to third, but Kamryn Haynes was able to make a backhanded stop and retired her. Beatty immediately followed with a stand-up double, but the Patriots didn’t have another hit until the sixth.

It was a case of two-out lightning for the Patriots in the sixth, although Kuhl made the first out of the inning when she rocketed her second liner of the game into right only to have Hall make the play once again. Beatty reached on a fielder’s choice for the second out, but Lamp came through with an RBI single to center. It was 9-4 when South first baseman Alison Marcum hit a double to the base of the fence in center.

Williamstown managed to push a run across in the sixth. Kamryn Haynes used her speed to get on via an infield single and went to second after a Keller single. Haynes eventually came home on Sivard’s sacrifice fly.

Snyder opened the seventh with a single. Pinch-runner Maci Miller went to second on a passed ball and scored on Hatcher’s hit.

Vargas’ RBI knock to shallow center made it a 10-6 affair. After Vargas was lifted for pinch-runner Riley Kerns, Beatty launched a two-run no-doubter to left to provide for the final runs of the game.

In the earlier matchup at Parkersburg South, the Patriots won 12-4.

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com