By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
October 13, 2002
DECATUR – The Class 3A defending state champion Newton County Lady Cougars closed out their regular season in fine fashion Saturday, sweeping Brandon 8-0 and Clarkdale 15-0 to improve to 25-4.
The Lady Cougars outscored their two opponents 23-0, outhit them 29-10, and made only one error to eight for the two Lady Bulldogs teams.
Both Brandon (5A) and Clarkdale (2A) will participate in their respective playoffs on Tuesday as will Newton County which hosts Franklin County at 5 p.m. Clarkdale will host Seminary at 5:30 p.m.
Newton County 8
Brandon 0
The Lady Cougars were clinging to a 1-0 lead until they erupted for seven runs on six hits in the bottom of the sixth. Shelly Ferguson and Lauren Barrett had RBI-singles for a 3-0 lead with Jennifer Smith's three-run double breaking the game open.
Smith finished with a 3-for-3 outing.
Newton County took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI-single by Joy Cavenaugh.
Winning pitcher Suzanne Chaney (15-3) had the Lady Bulldogs hitting nine straight ground outs from the fourth inning into the seventh.
Chaney also had two singles for Newton County, 24-4. The Lady Cougars had 13 hits to four for Brandon, 17-5. Melissa Wells had two singles to lead the Lady Bulldogs. Melissa May took the loss.
Newton County 15
Clarkdale 0
The Lady Cougars struck for five runs in the first inning in beating Clarkdale. Ferguson and Barrett both had two-run singles in the inning with Smith adding a sacrifice fly.
Newton County picked up two more runs in the bottom of the second with Kristin Chaney alertly scoring the first run when she tagged at third base and came home on a line drive by Dominique Mapp to Brandi Limerick at first base. Cavenaugh added an RBI-single.
The Lady Cougars broke the game open with eight runs on seven hits in the fourth. Mapp had an RBI-double, Ferguson had a two-run triple, Sylendria Johnson and Obreisha Davis had RBI-singles, and Jessica Sheehan had a two-run double.
Ferguson finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs as the Lady Cougars had 16 hits. Mapp had two hits and two RBIs. Johnson and Davis had two hits apiece.
Suzanne Chaney (16-3) got the win, allowing six hits.
Bethany Spidle had two singles to lead Clarkdale, 17-11. Kaylea Thrash took the loss.