Sports Correspondent
Van Holland
TARBORO —
PINETOPS – Leading 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning the SouthWest Edgecombe Lady Cougars were looking to seal the win and knock the North Pitt Lady Panthers out of a second place tie with them in the Eastern Plains Conference standings. Things didn't go the way the Cougars had planned though, because North Pitt scored a run in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 2-2 and force the game to go into extra innings after the Cougars couldn't capitalize in the bottom of the seventh.
SouthWest held the Panthers at bay in the top of the eighth and were looking to put the game away in the bottom half of the inning.
Cougars senior Taylor Webb led off the bottom of the eighth with a base hit. Dawson Gould followed with a sacrifice to move Webb to second. With one out, Kelsey Page then got a base hit to move Webb to third. After a visit to the pitchers mound by the Panthers coach, Page stole second on the first pitch to Chelsea Owens. The Panthers decided to walk Owens and load the bases. With the bases loaded, Collene Stallings was looking to put the ball in play and win the game for the Cougars. On the second pitch to Stallings, the ball deflected off of the catchers glove and Webb scored to give the Cougars a 3-2 win.
SouthWest improves to 12-7 overall and 6-2 in the conference.
The Cougars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning and capitalized on a couple of North Pitt errors and also got a timely hit from Owens when she drove in a run with a single.
Freshman Kaylan Page got the win for the Cougars. She threw six innings. She started the game and pitched the first three innings before being relieved by her sister Kelsey. Kelsey worked the fourth and fifth innings. She gave up one run on two hits. She walked three and struck out four. Kaylan came back in the sixth inning and finished the game out. She allowed one run on three hits. She also struck out six and walked one.
"We were able to use both pitchers, Kaylan and Kelsey in a new rotation," Cougars head coach Jeff Gould said. "They saw Kaylan the first time through the order and then Kelsey the second time through. Then we came back with Kaylan the third time through the lineup. I wanted to try this earlier in the season, but injuries prevented this from being able to happen. Both girls did a great job for us."
Gould also said he was proud of the way the defense played behind his pitchers.
Webb led the Cougars offensively going 3-4 and scored two runs. Kelsey Page was 2-4 and scored a run, while Owens had an RBI single. Stallings and Jennifer Britt both had a hit apiece as well.
SouthWest is now tied for second place with the Farmville Central Lady Jaguars. Going into the game the Cougars were in a three way tie with the Panthers and Jaguars after SouthWest fell to the Jaguars Tuesday 11-10.
SouthWest will be back in action Tuesday when they travel to Snow Hill to play the Greene Central Lady Rams at 7 p.m.
