Marengo Academy’s drive toward finishing unblemished in region play came to a screeching halt Friday when Meadowview Christian (2-4) pulled out a 6-4 win over the Longhorns (10-4).

“Right now at this point in the season, it’s huge,” Rick Jackson said of his team’s victory over the defending Class AA state champions. “We have just not been making the routine plays. They felt confident when they walked in here today. They knew they could win.”

The big blow in the game came in the top of the seventh inning when Raymond Eggert launched a two-run home run to break a 4-4 tie and give the Trojans an opportunity to upset the No. 3 team in the state.

Pitcher Marc Englett hit the Longhorn leadoff batter in the seventh before surrendering a one-out single to Chris Whitaker. With runners on the corners and one out, Marengo’s 4 and 5 hitters went down to end the game.

“That’s where we want to be,” Marengo Academy coach Jonathan Lindsey said. “That’s where we want to be all the time, in the middle of our lineup, and we just didn’t get it done.”

The Longhorns hit Englett early, jumping on top with a two-run first inning before adding another in the second. The three-run lead stood until the fourth when the Trojans finally broke through for their first run of the game.

In the fifth, MCS struck again when Randal Hamilton ripped a two-RBI double to tie the game 3-3. Englett gave his team its first lead of the game when he dropped down a sacrifice bunt to push the across the go-ahead run.

Marengo responded with one run in the sixth to tie the game before the Eggert shot sealed the victory in the ensuing at-bat.