Southside had the game firmly in hand despite being in a bases load jam.

With a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, Southside pitcher Jamarcus Hardy got a ground ball to second that should have gotten the Panthers out of the inning unscathed.

Instead, a throwing error allowed a run home and brought Dallas County’s Randal Greene to the plate.

Greene jacked a pitch over the left field wall for a game-changing grand slam that gave Dallas County a 5-4 lead.

Southside battled back but the home-standing Hornets had too much momentum as they took a 8-7 win Thursday night.

“We’ve got a pretty good team but when you make mistakes they can capitalize on it,” SHS coach James Goodwin said. “The homerun killed us. When you can play errorless ball, it helps.”

For Dallas County, the Greene’s shot was part of a remarkable turnaround.

For the first four innings, the Hornets offense had been nearly silent, then they exploded.

Just like that, Dallas County went from down three to up one.

“Christmas came early for me, I didn’t know he could hit the ball that hard,” Dallas County coach Billy Jackson said. “He has stepped up in critical situations this year for us.”

Southside rallied to tie the game in the fifth, but the Hornets plated three more in the bottom of the inning.

“We don’t have the dominant pitching that they had last year so when we win ball games, there going to be close games,” Jackson said.

The Hornets lived up to that billing when Southside rallied for two runs in the top of the sixth.

The game was then called-in a mild surprise-because of fading light, allowing Dallas County to hold on for the win.

Southside got going first, showing their ability to hit with two outs.

Each of the Panthers’ first five runs came with two down.

In the first, Ricky McConico tripled and Jeffery Anderson singled him home for the early lead.

Southside pitcher Cory Jackson was cruising early.

In three innings of work, he allowed no hits, struck out two and walked two.

Southside followed the same formula in the second as Clyde Brown reached base on an error and came home on Michael Perryman’s single. After a scoreless bottom of the inning, another two-out rally led to a Panther run.

Anderson singled and Lattrell Richardson’s shot to left was mishandled, allowing Anderson to score.

Southside added another run in the fourth before Dallas County roared back.

In the fifth, Anderson singled, stole second and scored on a Richardson single.

Dallas County loaded the bases before making the first out in the bottom of the inning as Roman Paxton and Shane Moreland singled and James Bennett walked.

Tyler Hollis’ blooper to right brought home a run, then Jacob Paxton’s fielder’s choice to third plated another run.

Matthew Ross’ sacrifice fly plated the final Dallas County run of the game.

Southside rallied in the top of the sixth as Brown laced a double and moved over on a ground out.

Cory Jackson singled him home and promptly stole second.

Hardy singled him home and moved to second on the error.

After a flyout, Hollis nailed Hardy as he tried to steal third, ending the game early with Dallas County ahead 8-7.

With the loss, Southside falls to 4-1 while Dallas County improves to 4-5-1.