Haley Bowlin hits home runs all the time in practice, Lawrence High softball coach Reenie Stogsdill said.

So when the senior slugger who had never hit one in a game before belted a game-tying, 250-foot bomb over the left-field fence against Olathe North on Tuesday night at Holcom Park, it was a thrill for the Lions.

“When she hit it,” Stogsdill said, “we all let out a sigh and were happy for her.”

Bowlin’s teammates were so enthused about her round-tripper that they ran out of the dugout before the ball had cleared the fence.

“I didn’t know it was a home run until I got to second base and saw all of my teammates waiting for me at home plate,” Bowlin said.

The Lions edged the Eagles, 2-1, in the first game of their Sunflower League doubleheader, but dropped the nightcap, 5-2.

LHS junior Audrey Corkhill’s blooper over the third baseman’s head in the sixth inning of the opener scored sophomore Jenni Morrell from second base, giving the Lions a 2-1 lead.

Olathe North led off the top of the seventh with a double, but LHS senior pitcher Ashley Burnett sandwiched a groundout between two strikeouts to end the game.

Stogsdill said she thought Burnett pitched well in the first game, but her standout pitcher got a little tired in the second game. The Eagles got to her in the fourth and fifth innings of the nightcap.

Leading 1-0 in the fourth inning, Burnett coaxed the first batter to ground out, but gave up three consecutive hits and loaded the bases. After a pop out, Lindsey Ruddick singled and drove in two RBIs.

The fifth inning was more of the same for the Lions as Olathe North (7-7) tallied two runs to take a 4-1 lead. Stogsdill pulled Burnett in favor of senior Larissa Johnson after Burnett gave up back-to-back singles to start the inning.

“The other team just started hitting the ball,” Bowlin said. “It’s not like they got any huge hits off us. Ashley just throws so hard that they just need to meet the ball because she supplies all the power.”

Lawrence (8-8) will play a doubleheader against Shawnee Mission Northwest today at Johnson County Girls Athletic Assn. fields.

Lawrence 2, Olathe North 1

Olathe North 000 100 0 1 5 0

Lawrence 000 101 x 2 5 0

WPAshley Burnett. LPLindsey Ruddick.

LHS highlights: Jenni Morrell 3-for-3, run; Haley Bowlin HR; Audrey Corkhill 1-for-3, RBI; Burnett CG, 5 Ks.

Olathe North 5, Lawrence 2

Olathe North 000 221 0 5 11 0

Lawrence 100 001 0 2 4 0

WPWhitney Schmidt. LPBurnett.

LHS highlights: Bowlin 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBIs.