MONTICELLO – The Lawrence County Lady Cougars have landed in theFinal Four of the Class 4A slowpitch softball state tournament.

MONTICELLO – The Lawrence County Lady Cougars have landed in theFinal Four of the Class 4A slowpitch softball state tournament.Lawrence County plays Friday and Saturday at Shiloh Park inBrandon, on Friday against Petal for the South State title. NewHope and Aberdeen will play for the Class 4A North State title onFriday. Game times will be announced.

In Tuesday’s second-round playoff games, Lawrence Countydefeated the Northeast Lauderdale Lady Trojans in the best-of-threeseries. NE Lauderdale won the opener 19-8 but Lawrence regroupedand came back to win the second game 9-5 and the third game15-5.

“Northeast Lauderdale has a very strong team and they unloadedon us in the first game,” said Lawrence County head coach PatsySandifer. “We have a classy group of players and they refused toquit. We hit the ball better the second and third games.

“Our depth made a difference, too,” Sandifer added. “We had alot of good players come off the bench to help us.”

Lawrence is 22-6 on the season. NE Lauderdale 19,Lawrence Co. 8 In the first game, losing pitcher Stacy Smith ledthe Lady Cougars with two singles. Doubling were Jerrica Boutwelland Amanda Givens. Robbie Dampier, Stephanie Dexter, Breigh AnnaDawsey, Kim Holloway, Ashley Davis and Danielle Rosssingled.

For NE Lauderdale, Raleigh Odom led with two doubles anda single. Amber Gray doubled and singled. Katie Bergin and JenniferBrister collected two singles apiece. Blair Rawson was the winningpitcher.

Lawrence committed 11 errors in the game. Lawrence Co.9, NE Lauderdale 5 In a must-win game for the Lady Cougars, Dexterpowered the hosts with a home run and a triple. Givens collectedthree singles. Casey Ward tripled and doubled. Also tripling wereSmith and Holloway. Boutwell singled twice. Ross and Dampier hitsafely. Pitcher Brooke Nelson got the win.

Rawson paced the Lady Trojans with a pair of singles.Grace Ann Watkins doubled.

Lawrence Co. 15, NE Lauderdale 5

In the final game, Ward directed Lawrence to the winwith a homer, a triple and a single. Givens doubled and singledtwice. Smith hit a pair of triples. Drilling a triple and a doublewas Ashley Davis. Following with two singles apiece were Dexter,Ross and Dawsey. Getting the win was Smith.

Watkins hit a pair of singles for NE Lauderdale. LaurenWebb, Jennifer Brister, April Harper and Jana Olezak singled.Rawson was the losing pitcher.