Lady Cougars take 3A fast-pitch title

By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
May 4, 2003
CALEDONIA For the third time in four years, the Newton County Lady Cougars have won a state championship in fast-pitch softball. Not bad for a team that's only played the sport five years.
Newton County made it back-to-back Class 3A crowns with an 8-2 victory over Caledonia Saturday afternoon to sweep the finals two games to none.
The Lady Cougars went 8-0 in the 2003 playoffs and are 16-1 in the postseason over the last two years.
Davis had two infield hits for the Lady Cougars and was called out at first on a pair of close plays.
Lauren Barrett (14-1) tossed a six-hitter with two walks to get the win.
Newton County took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never trailed. Chaney drew the first of her three bases on balls to start the game and scored on a two-out single to right field by junior catcher Jennifer Smith.
Smith went 3-for-4, beating out a pair of infield hits, to lead the Lady Cougars, 30-4. Chaney scored following each of her three walks.
Newton County made it 3-0 in the second frame. Jackson drew a leadoff walk and Joy Cavenaugh reached on a throwing error by Caledonia catcher Sally Kerstetter on a sacrifice bunt. Jackson circled the bases and scored as the ball rolled into foul territory in right field. Cavenaugh chugged into third base as the Lady Feds committed another error in getting the ball back to the infield.
Cavenaugh scored on Jessica Sheehan's ground out for a 3-0 lead.
The Lady Feds, 23-9, got one run back in the bottom of the third as Elizabeth James walked and scored on a fielder's choice by Kerstetter.
A four-run fourth frame effectively settled the game's outcome. Cavenaugh led off with a single and Davis legged out an infield hit one batter later. After a walk to Chaney loaded the bases, Suzanne Chaney's bunt single put Newton County up 4-1.
Smith followed with a two-out run-scoring single and two more runs crossed the plate for a 7-1 lead when shortstop Lindsey Reynolds booted Ferguson's grounder.
Caledonia got its final run in the bottom of the fourth as Stephanie Pounders reached on a two-out error by Dominique Mapp and scored on an infield out by James.
Kristin Chaney put the lead back at six runs in the top of the sixth as she walked and scored on a single by Mapp following Suzanne Chaney's sacrifice bunt.
Mapp turned in a dandy defensive play in the seventh as she snared Christy Pugh's line drive just inside the third base line for the second out.
Caledonia got a 3-for-4 effort from leadoff batter Megan Johnson, a freshman right fielder, and two hits from Sara Hicks.
Brittany Griffin took the loss, allowing nine hits and six walks to go with three strikeouts.