Neshoba headed to semis

By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
March 12, 2002
FOREST – Neshoba Central avenged an earlier 17-7 loss to Newton County by beating the Cougars 8-3 in first-day action in the Forest Invitational Broiler Bash.
In other games Monday, Pearl routed Lake 19-0, Kosciusko beat Philadelphia 5-2, and Forest rallied for a 4-3 win over Newton.
Today's games, weather permitting, have Lake and Newton County squaring off at 10 a.m., Philadelphia taking on Newton at 1 p.m., Neshoba Central playing Pearl at 4 p.m., and Forest facing Kosciusko at 7 p.m.
Neshoba Central 8
Newton County 3
The Rockets got seven of their 10 hits in two innings and in those two frames, they scored all eight of their runs.
Both teams scored twice in the first inning. Newton County got doubles from losing pitcher Mylan Anderson and Robby Carey, along with an RBI-single from Adam Bout and a sacrifice fly from Tyler Hagan to grab a quick 2-0 lead.
Neshoba evened the game in the bottom of the first as Andy Smith walked with Cody Morrow, winning pitcher Jacob Townsend, and Alan Taylor following with singles.
The Rockets turned four hits, three Cougar errors, and four wild pitches into six runs in the bottom of the fourth. Taylor Petty, Smith, Morrow, and Wes Turner each had a single in the uprising.
The Rockets, 8-4, had 10 hits with Smith, Morrow, Townsend, and Petty each having two.
Newton County, 6-6, got its last run in the top of the sixth as Carey doubled with the run coming home on a wild pitch.
Townsend upped his record to 3-0 with the complete game win.
The Cougars had seven hits with Carey's two doubles leading the way.
Kosciusko 5
Philadelphia 2
The Whippets snapped a 2-2 tie with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to stay in the winners' bracket.
Kosciusko scored twice in the top of the first inning. Jeremy Witzel led off the game with a home run. The Whippets got their second run of the inning when Gunter Cain reached on an error and scored on a two-out bases-loaded single by winning pitcher Holland Myers (4-0).
Philadelphia, 6-6, got one run back in the bottom of the third as Tyler Threadgill hit a two-out single and took second when Myers was called for a balk. Threadgill scored from second on Jerwarrick Hartzog's single to deep shortstop.
The Tornadoes pulled even in the fifth after Shay Grady opened the frame with a single. Two-out walks to Dustin Turner and Cameron Tawater loaded the bases with Grady crossing the plate on a wild pitch. Myers fanned losing pitcher Jonathan Booker to end the inning.
Marc Edwards started the go-ahead rally for the Whippets when he drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth. Allen Howell laid down a sacrifice bunt and was safe at first when the throw to get the lead runner wasn't caught. Witzel's sacrifice fly plated Edwards with the go-ahead run. Cain then singled home Howell.
Kosciusko picked up another run in the top of the seventh as Destin Moore singled and came home on a two-out infield error.
Witzel, Moore, and Myers each had two of Kosciusko's eight hits.
Booker and Tyler Rounsaville each had a double among the Tornadoes' six hits.
Forest 4
Newton 3
Forest scored the tying and go-ahead runs as the result of a passed ball on a third strike to cap a four-run fifth inning in the night game.
Newton outhit the Bearcats eight to four.
Newton, 7-2, got a double and a solo homer from Austin Bonds and a single and a double from Cody Savell.
Wes Cox went five innings to get the win with Matt Reynolds tossing the final two frames to get the save as Forest improved to 7-6.
Brent McMillian (3-2) took the loss.
Pearl 19
Lake 0
The Pirates padded a 1-0 lead with four runs in the top of the second inning and added five more in the third in beating the two-time defending tournament champion Hornets.
Pearl, the defending Class 4A state champion, picked up nine runs in the top of the fourth.