Published: April 23, 2008 02:29 pm            

Lady Cougars punish Purvis in series sweep

DECATUR — The Newton County Lady Cougars continued their playoff run with a sweep of Purvis in second-round action last week.

The two wins upped the Lady Cougars’ record to 20-7, making four straight seasons in which they have won at least 20 games.

“We played extremely well versus Purvis,” Newton County coach Justin Chaney said. “We went into a tough environment Thursday and won and we came home Saturday and closed out the series.

“I thought Catherine Brand swung the bat extremely good.

“As a team, I think we are playing our best ball right now.”

The Lady Cougars advance to the Class 3A South State championship series with Division 5-3A rival Southeast Lauderdale, 24-5. That series begins on Thursday at Decatur at 7 p.m. The remainder of the series will be at Southeast on Saturday with a 1 p.m. start.

Southeast took a pair of 2-1 wins during the regular season behind the pitching of Taylor Bailey (22-0). A year ago, Newton County defeated the Lady Tigers in a pair of 3-2 games.

“The Southeast series is here,” Chaney said. “I thought we might both meet again. Game 1 is very important because it is a home game. But like I told my team, the series is not going to be won until Saturday, so win or lose, we have to refocus and go on the road and win a game or two.

“Hopefully everything will work its way out. Whoever comes up with a big hit will win the series.

“It should be a fun series.”



County 7, Purvis 3

The Lady Cougars grabbed a 1-0 series lead with Thursday’s win at Decatur.

Kasie Buckley overpowered the Lady Tornadoes in the pitching circle to get the win.

“They’re a very well-rounded team, but the difference was the trouble we had with their pitcher,” Purvis coach David Entrekin told The Hattiesburg American. “She’s one of the better ones we’ve ever seen.”

Buckley (16-3) recorded 12 of Purvis’ 21 outs by strikeout. Seven of Purvis’ first nine outs were whiffs. Buckley allowed only one hit and no walks.

Newton County took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Summer

Alexander led off with a single and Emily Davis was hit by a pitch. Buckley then delivered a two-run double in the left-center field gap.

Newton County had 14 hits and added a run in the third, two in the fourth, including a lead-off home run by Catherine Brand, and got single tallies in the fifth and seventh frames.

Purvis got a run after two were out in the third when Nikki Sanders reached on a single, took third on a slow roller to third and scored when the throw rolled to the fence behind first base.

Buckley did not allow a baserunner over the final three frames.

With a 7-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh, Purvis touched reliever Chelsea Pugh for three doubles to score a pair of runs.

That brought Buckley back to the circle where she ended the game with a whiff.

Alexander had three singles for Newton County, 19-7, while Brittney Cochran had two singles and a double. Buckley had a pair of doubles. Brand had a single to go with her home run. Pugh and Nikki Cumberland had two singles apiece. Davis had one single.

Carmen Thompson (11-5) took the loss for the Lady Tornadoes, 12-6.

Sabrina Stanford, Esther Hartfield, and Morgan Cuevas each had a double for Purvis with Sanders getting a single.



County 12, Purvis 0

The Lady Cougars made quick work of Purvis in Game 2 Saturday afternoon in Decatur.

Newton County scored four runs in the first inning, added five more in the second, and tacked on three more in the fourth.

Kasie Buckley (17-3) allowed only one hit in four innings to get the win.

She struck out two and walked one. Chelsea Pugh tossed the fifth frame, retiring all three batters she faced.

Offensively, Samantha Cooley had two singles and a double for Newton County, 20-7. Catherine Brand had a single and a triple to drive in three runs.

Pugh had a double and plated a pair of runs. Brittney Cochran had a single, a double, and one RBI while Emily Davis had a pair of singles. Lacey Gilmore had an RBI single. Nikki Cumberland and Summer Alexander both had a single in Newton County’s 13-hit attack.

Purvis’ only hit was a single by Sabrina Stanford in the second inning.

Carmen Thompson (11-6) took the loss as the Lady Tornadoes finished 12-7.

        

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