Neshoba rolls by Newton County
By By Marty Stamper / staff writer
October 5, 2004
DECATUR Laura Smith hit a three-run homer in the third inning and Rebecca Watkins added a two-run double in the sixth as Neshoba Central defeated Newton County 8-4 Monday night at Mack Fanning Stadium.
Neshoba Central improved to 19-6, while Newton County dropped to 16-11.
Both teams will begin playoff action on Thursday. Neshoba Central will host Greenwood in a Class 4A best-of-three series beginning at 5 p.m., while Newton County will hit the road for a Class 3A series at Collins at 5 p.m.
"We always battle with them and this gives us the three-game series with them for this year," Neshoba Central head coach Tommy Holland said following the win. "It's always a good battle and a good team to end the (regular) season with going into the playoffs. You know you're going to get some good competition and we both should do well in the playoffs."
Smith followed singles by Sondria Hillie and Kady Chandler with a blast over the wall in center field to put the Lady Rockets up 3-0 in the top of the third.
"It was a huge home run that came at a crucial moment," Holland said. "She just needs to keep hitting the ball hard. She's doing real well.
"They're starting to play as a team and that's what this sport is now with the ball we're using."
Newton County got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth as Callie Cumberland and Lindsey Little had run-scoring fielder's choices after Bettina McDougle and Joni Seale led off the inning with singles.
Neshoba scored twice in the sixth on Watkins' double to the wall in left-center.
The Lady Rockets added three more runs in the top of the seventh with Samantha Giambrone and Jessi Nowell having RBI singles.
The Lady Cougars tallied twice in the bottom of the seventh on a pair of Lady Rocket errors.
The Lady Cougars hurt themselves at the plate as 15 of their 21 outs came on fly balls, seven of which never left the infield.
"Early in the year we had that, but we haven't had that problem lately because we've preached ground balls and line drives," Newton County head coach Justin Chaney said. "The ground balls and line drives we hit, we made things happen.
"I hope it's just a case of knowing we're in the playoffs. It does concern me a little knowing we're about to go into the playoffs.
"Give Neshoba credit, they hit the ball hard."
It didn't take Newton County long to see how the night would turn out as the Lady Cougars had runners at second base with no outs in both of the first two innings. Neither time did the runner advance beyond second.
In the fourth, Lorna Blackburn doubled with one out, but was thrown out as Chaney waved her to third.
Newton County had seven hits with McDougle getting a double and an infield single.
Neshoba had eight hits with Chandler and Nowell both getting a pair of singles.
Watkins (19-4) got the win with Ashton Benson (0-1) taking the loss. Benson got the start in place of Chassidy Smith, who was out with bronchitis.
