Blackburn pushes Newton County past WL

By By Marty Stamper / staff writer
September 29, 2004
DECATUR Lorna Blackburn's two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning drove in courtesy runner Jana Johnson with the winning run as Newton County knocked off No. 4-ranked West Lauderdale 5-4 Tuesday night at Mack Fanning Softball Field.
"I have been on her all year," Newton County head coach Justin Chaney said of Blackburn, one of his three seniors. "We've preached that seniors have got to be our leaders and she stepped up and took us on her back that inning. I'm so proud of her. That was a big-time hit in a big game and I hope it carries over."
Blackburn entered the game with a .324 batting average. West head coach Jerry Boatner had walked leading hitter Kasie Buckley (.419) to put runners on the corners with two outs.
It looked like the Lady Knights might escape a two-on, nobody-out situation when Kristen Pillsbury hit into an unusual double play. Her fly ball was caught in right-center. Kayla Eubanks threw late to third base to get Johnson tagging from second, but third baseman Haley Campbell gunned down Megan Munn trying to take second.
After Buckley was intentionally walked, Blackburn lined the game-winning hit to left-center.
Ashton Benson started the inning by reaching on an error.
Newton County improved to 15-9 overall and 8-3 in Division 5-3A.
"It's a real good win," Chaney said. "Especially late in the season. I hope we're peaking at the right time.
"For a confidence factor going into the playoffs, it's big.
"I told our girls coming in that we were locked in third place (in 5-3A) and to just go out there and play.
"I was extremely proud of our team because it was a total team effort. We all pulled together and I was very glad to get a big team win."
Newton County had 11 hits with Buckley, Melissa Robinson, and winning pitcher Chassidy Smith (15-9) each getting a pair of singles.
The Lady Cougars scored twice in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Buckley and one of five West errors.
Newton County went up 4-0 in the fourth as Lindsey Stevens lined a two-out single just inside the right-field line to plate two runs.
"They made all the plays and we didn't," Boatner said. "They got the big hit when they needed it. I thought the best team won tonight."
West's woes in the field led to the Lady Knights dropping to 19-4 overall and 9-1 in 5-3A.
"I'm real disappointed," Boatner said. "I don't think there's a high school team in the world that takes more ground balls than us. I just tears my tail up when we make errors. I don't expect it on the infield.
"I'm real disappointed in our defense."
Boatner wasn't too thrilled with his offense either as it produced just seven hits, all of which were singles. Only Ashley Helms had as many as two hits. Helms had two RBIs.
West did not advance a runner past first base until the fifth inning and had a dozen routine fly ball outs in the loss.
"We've been like that the last few games and I don't know what to do about it," Boatner said. "We'll start running them."
The Lady Knights rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth as Sommer Jones, Helms, and Holly Herrington hit consecutive RBI singles.
West tied the game in the top of seventh on a single by Helms on a drawn in infield.
"I thought we did good to come back because we weren't doing anything for the first four innings," Boatner said. "We did a good job coming back, but then we made the big error in the last inning to put the leadoff batter on base and that was it."
West can wrap up the division title either today against Morton or Thursday against Carthage. Both games are set for Collinsville.