COLUMBUS - Neither Kell nor Kennesaw Mountain could get past the first round of action victoriously Thursday on Day 1 of the state softball championships at the South Commons Softball Complex.

The Lady Longhorns dropped a 6-0 decision to 2008 state runner-up East Coweta, while the Lady Mustangs fell, 6-0, to Houston County.

Both squads fell into today's losers' bracket of the double-elimination Class AAAAA tournament with games beginning today at 11 a.m. today. To salvage their seasons, Kell (23-11) will play Grayson and Kennesaw Mountain (23-11) will face Greenbrier.

In Kell's loss Thursday, a two-out error in the first inning eventually led to two runs for East Coweta. The Lady Indians' first two batters reached base before Kell pitcher Natalie Boyd got a strikeout and a groundout. But Sarah Colwell reached base on an error off a routine infield popup that two Kell players tried unsuccessfully to field.

In the next at-bat, Malorie Maddox made Kell pay for the defensive gaffe with a two-run single to left to score Shirley Daniels and Haley Parkerson for a 2-0 East Coweta lead.

The wheels seemed to fall off from that point on as East Coweta scored three runs in the second and one more in the fifth to take the win.

The Lady Indians put their first two batters in the second inning on base and would eventually load the bases with one out. Casey Lambert scored on a throwing error from Boyd and Rebecca Creswell plated India Morgan for a 4-0 advantage. Sarah Colwell's fielder's choice RBI scored Parkerson for the final run of the frame.

Lambert's one-out sacrifice fly in the fifth plated Colwell for East Coweta's final run.

Kell never really threatened in the game as no runner made it past second. Christie Harrison and Katie Blair were the only players to get a hit off East Coweta pitcher Megan Chocallo, who pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out six.

Boyd finished the game with five strikeouts, but allowed six runs - three earned - on eight hits.

"We were ready to play, and we were prepared, but we did some things that we never usually do, and it cost us," Kell coach Kristy Simpson said. "We're used to losing that first game and coming back to fight in the second one, so hopefully we can continue that trend. I think we cared so much about this game, that we tried harder than we needed to. We'll have to bounce back (today)."

A three-run home run with one out in the first inning set Kennesaw Mountain back in its game against Houston County and the Lady Mustangs never recovered.

Erica Vasquez sent a shot over the fence off starting pitcher Jamie Thomas to score April Collins and Kourtny Thomas for a 3-0 Lady Bears (29-4) advantage.

Katie Krantz plated Chelsea Hodges on a one-out single in the fourth for a 4-0 lead. In the fifth, Jessica Burroughs reached base on a one-out single and Taylor Fountain followed with another single with two outs. Hodges then responded with a double to score Burroughs and Fountain, giving the Lady Bears their 6-0 lead.

Lizzie Statham and Chelsea Johnson each had hits for Kennesaw Mountain, as did Morgan Howard.

Thomas allowed three runs through three innings. Alanna Gearl pitched in relief and also allowed three runs.

"I'm very disappointed in the way we played (Thursday)," Kennesaw Mountain coach Lisa Chapman said. "We had girls playing selfish moreso than playing to beat Houston (County). I have to give them credit, they hit the ball hard and knocked our starting pitcher out in the third.

"Our errors were more in the dugout than anywhere else. They were all mental. Now, we have nothing to lose. We have to show that we made it here for a reason. I think the team will respond (today), and I expect us to play well."