Mark it down as a learning experience for Morgan Leinstock. Although the Horizon defense put the pitcher in a hole, she dug it deeper with an 0-2 pitch that turned a close game into an 8-3 loss to Cactus in the Desert Mountain Invitational Wednesday.

Errors early in the fifth inning on the left side of the infield led to a bases-loaded situation for Cactus with only one out.

While Leinstock recorded a swinging strikeout for the second out, Carson Gambs crushed a 0-2 pitch to the opposite field and over the right field fence for a grand slam, her second home run of the season.

Although only one of Leinstock’s runs was earned, she did allow 10 hits, something head coach Jackie Coburn attributes to an inability to keep a consistent tempo in the circle.

“Right now, we’re struggling on the mound just getting in a rhythm,” Coburn said. “That was an 0-2 grand slam, that ball should have never been touched. I think it’s trying to understand rhythm and getting into that and having everyone on the same page.”

Despite giving up eight runs, Leinstock stayed fired up on the mound all night, showing emotion after each of her four strikeouts, including both in a fifth inning where Cactus scored six runs.

Though third baseman Spencer Prigge struggled defensively with two of the team's three errors, her offense continued to excel. The freshman blasted her ninth home run of the season in the third inning, a homer that at the time gave Horizon a 3-1 lead.

“She’s phenomenal,” Coburn said. “She’s a great kid, she works hard, very smooth, relaxed, very comfortable. It’s been fun.”

Prigge’s home run moved her one homer shy of creating a tie for first place in the state in the category, a mark held by Bradshaw Mountain’s Madisen Duryea with 10.

The game goes down officially as a loss, yet it created several learning opportunities for the young team, including the importance of communication defensively, hitting spots and keeping rhythm in the circle and putting together good at-bats at the plate.

Prigge’s home run and the lessons learned were not the only positives in the otherwise disappointing loss for Horizon.

Leadoff hitter Ashlyn Senior reached base in all three of her at-bats, including a single in the third that she came around to score on.

For Coburn, it is the first time in several years that she has had a true leadoff hitter, which helps solidify the top of her lineup leading into conference play.

With the lineup becoming more clear as conference play looms, the Desert Mountain Invitational comes at the prefect time in the season for Coburn’s Huskies. It allows her to get players more plate appearances and time in the field before entering the second half of the season.

“We’ve already played some games, had a tournament and then we have one more game and its conference time,” she said. “This is huge for us, get good at-bats, see some good pitching and get ready to go.”

The loss drops the Huskies’ record to 8-4-1 and pushes Cactus to 10-1. Horizon plays Pinnacle and Basha to close out the tournament Thursday.