By Staff
SAFE AT THIRD n West Lauderdale's Hailey Scarborough is safe at third against Newton County's Joy Cavenaugh. West Lauderdale won the Tuesday game, 6-3. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
Sept. 12, 2001
West Lauderdale and Newton County met five times on the softball diamond a year ago before they settled who was No. 1 and No. 2 in the state in Class 3A.
They may meet that many times again this year.
The defending 3A state champion Lady Knights entered Tuesday's Region 5-3A game at Collinsville ranked second overall in the state this year, but used solid, if not at times spectacular, outfield play along with timely hitting to take a 6-3 win over Newton County.
West, 14-1, took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a massive two-run homer to center field by third baseman J.J. Huggins. Her seventh homer of the year also scored Amber Joyner, who led off the frame with a double.
Newton County, 11-2, pulled even in the top of the second. Dominique Mapp and Joy Cavenaugh hit one-out singles to start the rally. Suzanne Chaney reached on an error that sent Mapp home. Krystal Burton lined a single to left-center to knot the game at 2-2.
The Lady Knights went up 4-2 in the bottom of the third. Brook Bounds doubled with one out. After a walk to Joyner, Hailey Scarborough followed with a two-run double to the wall in left-center.
The Lady Cougars went down in order in the top of the fourth with Scarborough and Courtney Godwin turning in sparkling catches in the outfield.
The Lady Knights extended their lead to 5-2 with a run in the fourth. Jo Havard doubled and Godwin followed with a two-out RBI-single.
West picked up another run in the sixth as Brittany Mosley led off with a single and scored on Havard's second double, which landed inches inside the right-field line.
Huggins had better enjoy that blast.
Newton County got one run back in the top of the seventh as Mapp doubled and scored on a two-out single by pinch hitter Obreisha Davis.
Jessica Ethridge (14-1) got the win with Chaney (11-2) taking the loss.
Havard went 2-for-3 to lead West's eight-hit attack. Mapp went 2-for-3 to pace Newton County, which had seven hits.
Of Newton County's 21 outs, 16 came on balls hit in the air.
West returns to action Thursday at Carthage, while Newton County goes to Philadelphia in a pair of Region 5-3A games.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com or phone him at 693-1551, ext. 3234.