MONTICELLO -Slowpitch softball tradition runs deep at LawrenceCounty. It’s a year-round endeavor and the results have beengratifying.

Patsy Sandifer has been head coach at Lawrence County for 10years. Her team’s greatest season concluded in early November. TheLady Cougars advanced to the Final Four of Class 4A and posted a21-9 worksheet.

Sandifer’s efforts have earned her The Daily Leader’sAll-Area Slowpitch Softball Coach of the Year honors for the 2001campaign. Her overall coaching record is 131-92.

“We have five seniors on the team this year,” said Sandifer.They are Amanda Givens, Robbie Dampier, Ashley Davis, StephanieDexter and Shellie Wilson. At times, all five girls were in thestarting lineup.

According to Sandifer, several ingredients make LawrenceCounty’s softball team successful.

“I believe we have the combination of talent,” said Sandifer.”We have a good summer program and they get some good coaching.

“We are consistent with the coaching and we have highexpectations. We work very hard on our facilities. A lot of schoolsdon’t have their own facility.”

LCHS recently completed a new field house adjacent to theplaying field. Sandifer depends on team members helping to maintainand manicure the playing field.

“It’s a very prideful task to help maintain our facilities,”said Sandifer. It is used for the summer league program, too.

“We play on that field nine out of the 12 months. There’s somuch traffic on it.”

Lady Cougar Field is a beautiful sight to be behold. It is theenvy of many opponents.

“I enjoy coaching softball,” said Sandifer. “I have oneassistant coach in Tina Givens who is in her first year as anassistant.”

Lawrence County’s players begin competing at a young age.

“We get girls in here in the seventh grade,” said Sandifer. “Westart teaching them. We spend more time with our junior varsitythen any other team. Many of our girls have an opportunity to playfor six years. That makes a difference.”

Looking back on the season, Sandifer said there was room forimprovement. “I was disappointed with two things. We wererunners-up to Brookhaven and we were South State runner-up. On theother hand, we were third in state. Last year we were fourth.”

Sandifer’s team caught fire in the state playoffs. “We played alot longer than any other teams. That was a reward for us. We havea lot of players on our varsity.”

Lawrence County took a giant step forward after finishing secondto to Brookhaven in the Division 6-4A race. The Lady Cougars wereforced to play on the road at Lucedale, against highly-rankedGeorge County.

“Beating George County in the first round of state was ahighlight,” said Sandifer. “We were definitely the underdogs. Theywere ranked high. We got beat (8-0) the first game but we came backto win it.”

The Lady Cougars won the second game 17-6 in extra innings. Theybeat the Lady Rebels 8-3 in the decisive Game Three.

“The third game, George County was in shock,” said Sandifer. “Webeat them on their field, the first time on their field.”

Lawrence County had the opportunity to host Northeast Lauderdalein the next round.

“We should have beaten Northeast Lauderdale in the third round,”said Sandifer. “That was for the South State championship.”

New Hope beat Northeast Lauderdale in the state titleseries.

A Lawrence County native, she graduated from Topeka-Tilton in1985. She was an All-Star Softball Game coach last summer. Shegraduated from Mississippi College in 1989 and obtained a master’sof education and school counseling in 1991.

Sandifer played softball at MY, mainly infield, catcher andshortstop. It was fastpitch, making it a dramatic change from highschool slowpitch.

She won’t coach fastpitch in 2002. She won district in slow andfastpitch last year.

Sandifer has two brothers, Barry and Michael; and two sisters,Debbie Alexander and Peggy Givens. Peggy is a twin sister.

Sandifer’s parents are Gerlene Bardwell and Mickey Sandifer.