Lady Panthers elude North Pike

Published 5:00 am Thursday, October 10, 2002

Brookhaven and North Pike met at the Hansel King SportsplexTuesday night in the final regular season home game for fourBrookhaven seniors. The Lady Panthers scored the winning run in thebottom of the seventh, on a Lady Jaguar error, to author an 11-10win.

Brookhaven (18-6, 3-0) wraps up its regular season Thursdaynight with a Division 6-4A showdown against the Lawrence CountyLady Cougars at Monticello. North Pike falls to 14-8 and isscheduled entertain Bogue Chitto tonight, depending on theweather.

North Pike posted a 4-2 win over Brookhaven in the JV game.

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Brookhaven High School principal Susan Chapman helped head coachLisa Covington recognize the four Brookhaven seniors prior to thevarsity matchup. Three-year lettermen Mandy Vinson and CortneyFielder, two-year players Kensy Hoff and Samantha Boutwell eachreceived a red rose. Covington received a red rose and a braceletfrom the entire team.

This game went back and forth throughout the 7-inning affair. Itwas in the bottom of seventh when Brookhaven broke away from a10-10 deadlock, and was able to bring home the win.

North Pike, coached by Sonya Wallace and Pam Alexander, grabbedthe early 2-0 lead in the first. Erin Boyd singled. Leoanna Ballardwalked. Three batters later, Jessica Brister grounded into afielder’s choice that allowed Boyd to score. Ballard would laterscore on an error.

The Lady Panthers would respond in their half of the first,claiming a 3-2 lead. Smith singled. Jaronda Moore smashed a homerun to the outfield. Two batters later, Ashley Sykes scored on a4-base error by the North Pike outfield.

The Lady Jags retook the lead at 4-3 in the third. Ballardwalked. Brittney Alexander tripled to score Ballard. Three batterslater, Catherine West singled to score Alexander. North Pikeextended their advantage to 7-3 in the fourth.

Brookhaven scored twice in the fourth to reduce their deficit to7-5. Britney Smith reached on an error that allowed SamanthaBoutwell and Sykes to score.

Wallace’s ballclub added 3 runs in the fifth to take a 10-5lead. Brookhaven would not lay down and quit, as evident by a 5-runrally and 2 North Pike errors in the bottom to gain a 10-10tie.

Left centerfielder Courtney Fielder singled and reached secondon an error. Catcher Kayla Prince reached on an error that allowedFielder to score. Chuvaquah Smith singled in Prince. Moore doubled.Boutwell homered to score Smith and Moore.

“There were a lot of errors in this game,” said Lady Pantherassistant coach Dan Presley. “But we hung tough and pulled this oneout.”

The Lady Panthers pushed the winning run across home plate indramatic fashion in the bottom of the seventh. Brookhaven pinchhitter Laura Waldrop singled. Shortstop Megan Bateman grounded intoa fielder’s choice, forcing Waldrop out at second. RightfielderChuvaquah Smith sent a fly ball to the North Pike outfield that wasmishandled twice by the Lady Jags. The second miscue allowedBateman to score from first. Bateman’s teammates met her athomeplate as a jubilant celebration ensued.

“This was a big win for us tonight,” said Coach Covington.

Boutwell, a senior firstbaseman, led Brookhaven with a homer, asingle and 3 RBIs. Moore homered, doubled, had 2 RBIs and scoredtwice.

“We played hard tonight and you hate to lose those kind,” saidWallace. “We went ahead 10-5 in the top of the fifth but Brookhavenwouldn’t give up. Our girls have really played well the last twogames and I hope that we’ll continue to play well as we enter thestate playoffs.”