WAPAKONETA, Ohio — The Indians struck first.

They recorded more hits.

But for the second year in a row, they came up short against Lincolnview.

Fort Recovery gave up six runs in the top of the seventh inning Friday night as it fell 10-5 to the Lancers in the Division IV high school softball district championship game at Wapakoneta.

The No. 4 seed Indians (14-9), who lost 9-2 to the Lancers in last season’s sectional championship game, took the early advantage with two runs in the top of the first inning. Third-seeded Lincolnview (22-4) responded with four runs in the third, and Fort Recovery got even again with single tallies in the fourth and fifth.

But while the Tribe may have been hoping for a third consecutive extra-inning tournament triumph, the Lancers had other ideas. They scored six times in the top of the seventh inning to break the game wide open.

Emma Will’s single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh brought home Cali Wendel for one more Fort Recovery run, but the rally ended there.

Will totaled three hits, a run and an RBI for the Indians, who out-hit Lincolnview 14-12 but couldn’t match its run-scoring prowess. Maddie Guggenbiller recorded a double, a single and two RBIs, and Sophie Pearson had two hits and two runs.

The game marked the first district championship appearance for Fort Recovery, which earned the right to play Friday by upsetting sixth-ranked Minster 8-6 in eight innings in Tuesday’s district semifinal. The Indians opened the tournament with an 8-2 win over Ridgemont and then out-dueled Marion Local for a 2-1 victory in nine innings in the sectional championship game.

Lincolnview advances to play in the regional tournament at Clyde.