Win over Carthage sends Lady Cougars to finals
By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
April 26, 2003
DECATUR Newton County advanced to the Class 3A state fast-pitch softball finals by sweeping Carthage Friday night, although the Lady Cougars did have to go seven innings for the first time in the playoffs.
After cruising to a 14-0 win in the opener, the Lady Cougars snapped a 4-4 tie with two runs in the fourth and added two more in the sixth to take an 8-4 victory in the nightcap.
Newton County, 28-4, advances to the 3A state finals series against the Amory-Caledonia winner. Those two begin their 3A North State series today.
Game One in the 3A state finals will be Thursday at 6 p.m. at Newton County.
Carthage finished 12-11.
Joy Cavenaugh (11-1) tossed a one-hitter in the opener, striking out eight and walking two. Only a second inning single down the right-field line by Jody Rawson spoiled her bid for three straight no-hitters in the playoffs.
The Lady Cougars got all the runs they would need in the first inning as they tallied five times on four hits and three Carthage errors. Kristin Chaney, Suzanne Chaney, Shelly Ferguson, and Obreisha Davis each had a single in the inning.
After sending 10 batters to the plate in the first inning, the Lady Cougars sent up 10 more in the second as they extended their lead to 9-0. Suzanne Chaney led off with a single and scored on a triple by Dominique Mapp. Jennifer Smith had an RBI single and Ferguson followed with a run-scoring double. Davis had an RBI single in the inning.
The Lady Cougars added one run in the third and four in the fourth. Mapp and Joni Seale both had RBI singles in the fourth.
For the game, Kristin Chaney, Suzanne Chaney, Mapp, Ferguson, and Davis each had two hits.
Tori Crenshaw took the loss.
Newton County took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap as Kristin Chaney led off with an infield hit and Suzanne Chaney drew a walk. The first run came home on a sacrifice fly by Mapp with the second crossing the plate on a wild pitch.
Carthage drew even in the top of the second on a two-run double by Krystal Ellington that plated Rawson and Amanda Schmidt.
The Lady Cougars went up 4-2 in the bottom of the third as Mapp and Smith led off with singles and Ferguson reached on an error. Holly Jackson's sacrifice gave Newton County a 3-2 lead.
Carthage again fought back to tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the fourth on a two-run single by Ellington following a walk to Rawson and a single by Jennifer Sears.
Mapp scored the go-ahead run with a solo homer to right field with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Smith walked and courtesy runner Lindsey Little came home on a sacrifice fly by Jackson.
The Lady Cougars added two more runs in the sixth as Suzanne Chaney got a leadoff walk, moved up on two wild pitches, and scored on a single by Smith. Little made it 8-4 when she scored on a passed ball.
Lauren Barrett (13-1) got the win, allowing eight hits. She struck out seven and walked two.
Mapp and Smith both had two hits for Newton County, while Ellington had two hits and four RBIs for Carthage. Heather Stewart also had two hits for the Lady Tigers.
Crenshaw again got the loss.
