RIDGELAND — Last year, Newton County lost Game 1 of the state championship series to West Lauderdale but stormed back to win the next two games and capture another slow-pitch championship series.
That felt all too familiar for the Lady Cougars on Saturday.
After losing Game 1 to Nettleton 19-13, Newton County responded with two straight wins as Phillips went 7-for-8 over the last two games as the Lady Cougars took 18-6 and 16-9 wins to capture the Class II state championship on Saturday at Freedom Ridge Park. The Lady Cougars advanced to the championship series by crushing Wesson 20-2 and 22-6 on Tuesday.
Newton County finishes the season with a 33-3 record and captured its 12th slow-pitch title of all time and fifth straight.
“I’ve got a great group of young ladies. I’m so proud of them because they take some abuse from me. They are mentally tough. They are the ones to be commended. They have so much heart and so much fight about them. They just don’t know how to quit. It’s fun to coach a team like that.”
Chaney knew the top of the lineup was going to produce but it was the bottom half that surprised the long-time Lady Cougars’ coach.
“Holy cow, did the bottom of the lineup come through in those last two games,” Chaney said. I don’t know if they got Lanie Phillips out in the last two games and she’s a ninth grader. Lanie Phillips turned that thing over for us and I’m proud for her. I’m proud for all of them. They grew up. we are going to enjoy it because we have worked hard for it.”
Nettleton 19, County 13
In the first game of the series, the Lady Tigers from Nettleton snapped Newton County’s 29-game winning streak
Nettleton started in the top of the first inning as they plated five runs and never lost the lead. Newton County scored two runs in the first and third innings but trailed 12-4 after three innings.
The Lady Tigers were able to maintain their advantage as they scored in every inning. Newton County pulled within 16-11 with five runs in the bottom of the sixth but fell short.
“We played horrible, that’s what I told them,” Chaney said. “We didn’t do anything that we had been coached to do. And then we just flipped the switch.”
Nettleton outhit the Newton County 19-16. Katelyn Gipson had a big game at the plate for Newton County, going 3-for-4 with three home runs and five RBIs. Jada McDougle was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs while Brittany Thomas was 2-for-4 while Lorren Ivey was 2-for-3 with two doubles and scored three runs. Landree Amis was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
County 18, Nettleton 6
County scored four runs in the first inning with a pair of two-run doubles by Lorren Ivey and Lizzy Hollingsworth. The Lady Cougars added four more in the second as Jada McDougle delivered a two-run double and Brittany Thomas a two-run home run.
After scoring three in the third, the Lady Cougars put the game away with seven run in the fourth inning as McDougle had a two-run home run while Thomas blasted her second home run of the game.
Newton County had 21 hits and held Nettleton to seven. Thomas had a big game as she was 4-for-4 with two home runs, four runs scored and five RBIs. McDougle was 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs scored and five RBIs. Lorren Ivey was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI while Lanie Phillips was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Jessi Thaggard was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Hollingsworth also drove in three runs.
Newton County 16, Nettleton 9
The Lady Cougars used a pair of six-run innings to take the series from the Lady Tigers.
Newton County plated six runs in the second with two outs as Karlye Tolbird, Jessi Thaggard and Lanie Phillips each had hits at the bottom of the lineup. Then Jada McDougle knocked in two runs with a single and Brittany Thomas cleared the bases with a three-run home run for a 6-2 County lead.
County extended its lead to 10-3 with two runs apiece in the third and fourth innings. Nettleton fought back with three in the top of the fourth and fifth to tighten the game up at 10-9. But the Lady Cougars put the game away in the bottom of the sixth with six runs as Phillips had an RBI single and McDougle a two-run double.
Phillips was 4-for-4 in the contest and drove in three runs while Jada McDougle was 2-for-3 with five RBIs. Lizzy Hollingsworth was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs while Karlye Toldbird was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Jessie Thaggard was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
