By CINDY CROSBY
The Colleton County Lady Cougar Softball team will begin their bid for a SCHSL AAAA Lower-State Championship in a best-of-three series versus Darlington High School. Game one will be played at home beginning Monday May 24 at 6:30 p.m. and game two will be played at Darlington High School, Wednesday May 26 also at 6:30 p.m. Should the “if necessary” game be needed, it would be held Friday May 28 at a neutral location. The Lady Cougars are asking the community to attend and support their quest for a SCHSL AAAA Lower-State Championship.
In Friday evening’s District 3 Championship, the Lady Cougars toppled South Florence 10-9 in the bottom of the 11th inning. With the game tied at nine runs, bases loaded, and two outs, Maggie Kennedy came through big time for her team with a walk-off single to score Makayla Chisolm and secure the championship.
South Florence led 5-1 in the middle of the third inning. It was the first time in the regular season the Lady Cougars have trailed in any game. Leadoff, Shandi Brown was not having it in the bottom of the third and singled on a line drive to centerfield to get things started for Colleton County, then scored on a Bailey Cox single. Whitley Weathers and Sidney Howard singled to load the bases. Catcher, Jordan Slocum sacrificed to plate Cox. Shamorie Overton doubled to drive in two runs, tying the game and putting the Lady Cougars back in business. It was a back-and-forth scoring event through 11 innings.
Colleton County ace, Whitley Weathers (Francis Marion), went the distance to earn the win. Weathers allowed seven earned runs on 21 hits, striking out five and issuing not a single walk across 11 innings. Weathers was 2-4 at the plate, with an RBI and scoring once.
Senior, Shamorie Overton went 3-4 on the day, with 3-RBI’s. Sydney Howard was 3-6 with 2-RBI’s and scored once. Shandi Brown, Bailey Cox, Chisolm, Jordan Slocum and Lanasia Sanders had multiple hits in the game.
“This team showed their determination to be here in Friday’s game,” said Coach Tootie Edwards. “They never gave up, even when the score was not in their favor. They fought back like Cougars do – and came out on top.”
