By By Robby Atkinson/special to The Star
August 9, 2003
The Newton County Lady Cougars started off the 2003 slow-pitch softball season with a solid offensive performance to hand Enterprise a 16-5 loss in the opening game of the Clarkdale Softball Classic Friday night.
The Lady Cougars notched 16 hits in the contest and got solid pitching in the process to bring nothing but a huge smile to head coach Mack Fanning's face.
The Lady Cougars scored four runs in the opening inning to take a slight edge over Enterprise. The four-run inning for the Newton County was highlighted by a two-run home run by Jennifer Smith to lead the Lady Cougar attack.
After a silent first inning for Enterprise, the Lady Cougars followed with six more runs to bring the score to 10-0. Enterprise opened the inning by making several costly errors that lead to a pair of runs.
Megan Munn later knocked in a run on a single to center field followed by an RBI single from Dominque Mapp to bring Smith to plate once again. Smith was right on cue and delivered her second home run of the contest to bring her RBI total to five on the evening.
Munn extended the Lady Cougar lead with another RBI single in the third inning and another run scored on one of the six errors by the Lady Bulldogs.
Enterprise did plate five runs in the bottom of the third to cut into the Lady Cougar lead. Pitcher Amanda Parker helped her own cause by notching an RBI single to put the lady Bulldogs on the board. Bayleigh Creel had the big blow of the inning for Enterprise with a double and two RBIs.
Newton County tallied four more runs in the fourth to put the finishing touches on their first win of the year. Chassidy Smith had a single in the inning and collected a pair of RBIs. Smith also picked up the win on the mound for Newton County, going five innings and walking only one.
Newton County returns to action today when it squares off against Northeast Lauderdale in the second day of the event at Clarkdale.