The Lawrence County Lady Cougars’ bats swung heavy Friday night, beating the Bogue Chitto Lady Bobcats 8-1.

Although the Lady Cougars took an early lead, their bats cooled off for two innings. The Cougars heated back up in the fourth where they scored four runs to stay ahead of the Lady Bobcats.

The field went quiet in the sixth inning, when Lady Cougars senior pitcher Josey Nations was struck around the collar bone by a ball that raced back to the mound. 

Nations was doing better Saturday, though bruised and sore.

“We played hard the whole game and stayed focused at the plate,” Lady Cougars coach Meleah Howard said. “Codi Leggett is a good pitcher. I always feel good when we have 15 hits in a game. Defensively, Josey wasn’t having her best night on the mound, but our defense played hard behind her.”

The Lady Cougars were the first on the scoreboard, getting one run to start off the game. Nations led things off with a single. Senior Tyranesha Davis followed with a single of her own. With one out, freshman Skyler Speights brought in the first run on a sacrifice fly. The Lady Bobcats held the Cougars to the one run, getting the final out.

The score would remain 1-0, in the Lady Cougars favor, heading into the fourth inning.

The Cougars stayed in front of the Lady Bobcats, scoring four runs in the top half of the fourth. Speights got things started with a line drive single. With one out junior Julianna Johnson also notched a line drive single. With two outs, sophomore Raylee Ready brought in two runs on a two-run RBI single.

Eighth-grader Ashley Holden followed with an RBI triple. Nations would bring in the final run of the Lady Cougars half of the inning on an RBI single.

The Lady Bobcats found themselves on the board in their half of the fourth. After back to back walks, sophomore Codi Leggett moved the runners over off of her fielder’s choice. The Bogue Chitto girls scored their run on a wild pitch that made its way past the catcher before the Lady Cougars were able to get out of the inning.

The Cougars added one run to their score in the top half of the fifth. With one out, Speights notched a single that found its way into right field. Senior Maddux Kirkland followed with a single that made its way into shallow center field. Junior Abbie Errington brought in the run on a RBI single.

The Lady Cougars put the game away in the sixth inning, scoring two runs. Holden led off with a single into right field. Nations followed with an RBI triple that went deep into center filed. With one out, sophomore Sydney Pevey brought in the she-cougars’ final run on an RBI sacrifice.

The Lady Cougars went on to win by a final score of 8-1.

“We knew coming into the game that Lawrence County is a great hitting team,” Lady Bobcats coach Scott Leggett said. “We’re trying to find ourselves right now, and I think we’re making too much out of the game. We’re playing well at times, we just can’t finish. Defensively we weren’t sharp. We’ll be better next week.”

Nations picked up the win for the Lady Cougars, going five innings, while allowing three hits and one run while picking up four strike outs. Holden pitched in relief.

Codi Leggett took the setback on the rubber for the Lady Bobcats going seven innings while allowing 16 hits and eight runs while picking up four strike outs.

Freshman Alece Nettles led the Lady Bobcats with a double. Junior Karly Leake notched a single. Freshman Kaycie Beth Wallace also had a single. Codi Leggett finished the hitting for the Lady Bobcats with a single.

Nations led the Lady Cougars with a triple, two singles and two RBIs. Holden notched a triple, two singles and an RBI. Davis had a double and a single. Speights had two singles and an RBI. Kirkland hit two singles. Johnson notched two singles. Ready had a single and two RBIs. Junior Abbey Pevey finished the hitting for the Lady Cougars with a single and an RBI. Sydney Pevey had an RBI.

Story by Dave Linton