STARKVILLE — After a game 1 win in which Newton County coach Justin Chaney felt his team “stole” a win, the Lady Cougars left no doubt in game 2.
The Lady Cougars scored five runs in the first inning and raced out to an 8-0 lead and went on to take an 8-4 win to give Newton County the Class 4A state championship
With the win, the Lady Cougars finish the season with a 29-7 record and win their 10th state championship in fast-pitch and their first since 2014.
“I am so proud for those four seniors,” Chaney said. “You can’t ask for a better group of seniors. East Central is getting three good players and will do a heck of a job for them and Karlye Tolbird would run through a brick wall for you. They know how much I love them. I want them to enjoy them while they are there. We earned this one, being down 1-0 in two series. Seeing their faces all made it worth it.”
The Lady Cougars scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Landree Amis led off with a walk and Katelyn Gipson was then hit by a pitch. Shelby Anderson then singled to right field to score Amis. Brittany Thomas followed with a single to left that scored Gipson. After a Lizzy Hollingsworth sacrifice fly to center field to score Anderson, Lanie Phillips laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored courtesy runner Brelie Phillips. Lorren Ivey and Karyle Tolbird then reached on back-to-back and Ivey came home on a double steal to give Newton County a 5-0 lead.
The Lady Cougars added two more runs in the bottom of the third as Thomas led off the inning with a single. After two outs, Ivey doubled to left field to score Brelie Phillips, who was courtesy running. Tolbird then reached on an error and Ivey scored to give County a 7-0 lead.
“We got a fast start and were able to put some pressure on them,” Chaney said. “I think that was the key to the game. In game 1, we were behind the whole game and today, Landree led us off with a walk and we were able to string together some hits. We started doing what we do, and we are up 8-0.”
The Lady Cougars scored one in the fourth as Amis led off the inning with a single and Anderson followed with a walk. Hollingsworth then singled to left field to score Amis and give County an 8-0 lead.
Tishomingo added two runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but it was too little, too late as the Lady Cougars held on two sweep the series.
Thomas continued her strong post-season pitching performance for the Lady Cougars. Thomas pitched all seven innings for the Lady Cougars and gave up four runs on six hits and one walk while striking out one.
“She controlled the whole game,” Chaney said “A couple of those hits and runs were my fault. I told her to just throw it over the plate. When you are up 8-0, you are chasing outs. You get to the fifth and you can start counting outs.
“Brittany and Shelby complement each other so well. Both of them are No. 1 pitchers and there are a lot of teams that would love to have either one. But I knew Brittany would be good the first inning. She went out and went three up, three down and I knew she was going to be on. And then we come in and score five runs, I had a good feeling about it.”
County had eight hits in the contest as Ivey was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Thomas was 2-for-3 as well while Brelie Phillips scored twice. Hollingsworth singled and had two RBIs while Amis singled and scored twice. Alex Weir also had a double for the Lady Cougars.
Chaney said one of the driving forces for this championship run was the crushing loss the Lady Cougars suffered to South Pontotoc in the slow-pitch title series in the fall.
“You could tell after slow-pitch, they were a very determined group,” Chaney said. “Nothing in life is taken for granted. You could tell when they went over in slow-pitch, they thought they were going to win. But we got down in two series and had a lot to overcome this year. This group has grown all year and was just built for this. They are a tough group of kids who fought through a lot of adversity this year. It just doesn’t get old.”
County 5, Tishomingo County 4
The Newton County Lady Cougars rallied in the seventh inning to take a 5-4 win over Tishomingo County at Mississippi State’s Nusz Park in Game 1 of the MHSAA Class 4A State Championship Series.
Tishomingo’s Mary Busby hit a two-run home run in the first inning to put the Lady Braves on the board. But Newton County’s Shelby Anderson didn’t allow another earned run for the remainder of the game.
County answered with two runs in the third. Alex Weir singled up the middle and Landree Amis tripled to right field. Amis came home and scored on a single to right by Anderson to tie the game.
Tishomingo added an unearned runs in the bottom third and added another run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.
Anderson singled up the middle in the sixth. After a single by Brittany Thomas, Lizzy Hollingsworth drove in Anderson and cut the lead to 4-3.
The Lady Cougars took their first lead in the seventh inning. Weir singled again with one out in the seventh. Amis then doubled to score Weir. Following a bunt single by Katelyn Gipson, Anderson flied out to center field to score Amis for the game winner.
Amis ended the game going 2-for-4 with a double, triple, two runs scored and two RBIs. Anderson was 2-for-3 with two RBIs while Weir was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Anderson pitched all seven inning and gave up four runs on three hits and three walks while striking out 10.
