MONTICELLO – The Lawrence County High Cougars defeated SouthPike 12-2 in Division 6-4A baseball action Tuesday night at JimmieDavis Park. The Cougars banged out 12 hits and rode the solidpitching effort of senior right-hander Michael Edwards to thevictory. The win snapped a nine-game LCHS losing streak, and endedthe home portion of the Cougars’ schedule on a positive note.Cougar seniors were honored before the game.

With the win, Lawrence County improved to 10-15 on the season,and 5-8 in Division 6-4A play. The Cougars will conclude divisionplay with a varsity doubleheader at South Pike on Thursday.First-year Lawrence County head coach Chris Clark was pleased withthe win.

“We needed a win,” Clark said. “With as many tough losses as ourguys have endured this season, I’m glad something positive happenedtonight in our final home game. We played pretty well tonight and Ihope this carries over to our final five ballgames.”

The Cougars total of 12 hits was the most they’ve had in awhile. Shortstop Will Dawsey had a big night, going four-for-fourwith four runs batted in. Each of his four hits drove in a run. Hisfirst-inning single drove home Tyler Ball who had tripled.

LCHS got four in the second as Dawsey, Nathan Evans and MichaelEdwards all had run-scoring singles. In the third, the Cougarsscored four more as Evans drove home three with a bases-loadeddouble. Catcher Zack Powell, Dawsey and Evans put together hits inthe Cougars’ two-run fifth, and Dawsey’s single through the rightside in the bottom of the sixth, ended the game via the ten-runrule.

Along with Dawsey’s four hits and three by Evans, Powell reachedthe multiple hit column with two. Ball, Edwards and DustyWilliamson each had one. South Pike did manage to avoid thefive-inning, 10-run stoppage by turning an inning-killing tripleplay in the bottom of the fourth.

Edwards was excellent on th emound. After shutting South Pikeout over four innings, he was relieved, for four batters, by DustyWilliamson. When Williamson struggled a bit, Edwards came rightback in and retired the final six South Pike batters.

In all, Edwards retired 18 of 20 Eagle batters he faced. Heallowed just one hit and struck out seven.