MONTICELLO – The Lawrence County Cougars defeated the WessonCobras 11-1 in season-opening high school baseball action Mondaynight at Jimmie Davis Park. The homestanding Cougars broke open atight game with a seven-run outburst in the bottom of the fifth,ending the game via the 10-run rule.

With the win, Chris Clark’s Lawrence County team starts itsseason with a record of 1-0, while the Cobras, coached by PhillipKnight, fell to 0-1. The game was a make-up of a contest slated forSaturday that was postponed due to wet grounds.

Clark, in his third season at Lawrence County, was pleased withhis team’s start. “I thought our guys played well,” Clark said. “Wethink we’ve got a chance to be halfway decent but that first nightout, you just never really know what to expect.

“I was pleased that our kids played a good, clean game, withoutmany glaring miscues,” Clark continued. “It was a good, tight game.Don’t be deceived by the way the score ended up. Wesson has a goodteam.”

Wesson actually struck first, when standout center fielder NickGunter led off the game and season, with a solo homer. After that,LCHS righty Casey Williams didn’t give up much more. In fourinnings of work, Williams allowed just two hits and struck out six.At one point, Williams struck out four in a row.

While Williams held the Cobras in check, Lawrence County’sCougars chipped away to tie the game, and eventually take the lead.In the first, center fielder Michael Thompson walked, stole second,and eventually scored on a passed ball. In the bottom of thesecond, the Cougars took the lead when Kyle Huguley’s boomingtwo-out double plated Marlon Stanfield, who had walked.

LCHS stretched the margin to 4-1 in the third, scoring two runswithout the benefit of a base hit. Both runs scored on wildpitches. Wesson shortstop Ryan Williams relieved Cobra starterJoseph Langham to get the final out of the inning.

It stayed 4-1 until the bottom of the fifth when the wheels cameoff on Wesson. Lawrence County scored seven times on four hits,benefiting from two Wesson errors and three bases on balls in theframe.

The Cougars’ Luke Watts, Brent Fraysier, Michael Thompson andKlein Harbour all had hits in the inning, with Thompson eventuallyscoring on a passed ball to give the Cougars their final margin ofvictory.

Harbour, who started at catcher for Lawrence County, pitched thefinal inning for the Cougars, retiring the side in order in the topof the fifth.

Both Lawrence County and Wesson have a full slate of gamesawaiting them the remainder of the week. LCHS will be in actiontonight, when they travel Petal to take on Greene County. Weatherpermitting, Wesson will host West Lincoln tonight, starting at4.

“We just have to pitch it a little better and play defense alittle better,” said Coach Knight. “Lawrence County played verywell and we played what I hope is our worst game of the year.”