MONTICELLO – The Lawrence County Cougars defeated the BrookhavenPanthers 5-4 Tuesday night in a spirited Division 6-4A baseballgame at Jimmie Davis Park.

In a game loaded with ups and downs for both teams, LawrenceCounty gained a 3-0 lead, fell behind 4-3 largely as a result ofLCHS miscues, then rallied to win it with two unearned runs in thebottom of the seventh.

Lawrence County leftfielder Klein Harbour finally sent Cougarfans home happy with a long drive that fell just fair down theright field line, with two out in the bottom of the seventh. Thathit plated Will Dawsey with the winning run.

Earlier in the inning, two BHS errors had allowed the tying runto score. With the win, Chris Clark’s Cougars improved to 17-12-1on the season, in the process sweeping Brookhaven for the firsttime since 1997.

Coach Randy Spring’s Panthers, who started the season with highhopes prior to enduring some incredibly bad luck, fell to 11-15 onthe season. With neither team still in serious contention for a 4Aplayoff spot, Tuesday’s game was one for pride, between twolong-time neighborhood rivals.

“We never seem to have a drab, ho-hum type of game,” saidlong-time Lawrence County assistant Craig Davis. “There alwaysseems to be plenty of fireworks and tonight was no exception.

“But as hard as we compete with one another between the lines,and as heated a rivalry as we supposedly have, we have tremendousrespect for Coach Spring and his program,” Davis pointed out. “Heand his staff are a class act. Their team’s done a great jobhanging in there this year, considering the adversity they’vehad.”

The Panthers battled hard on Tuesday, but it was the Cougars’night. In the bottom of the fourth, Dusty Ladd, one of two LCHSseniors honored prior to their last game, whacked a three-run homerover the right field fence. Ladd’s blast, his second homerun of theseason, broke up a scoreless duel between Lawrence County’s DrewHaley and Brookhaven’s Brooks Hall.

In the top of the fifth, BHS scored an unearned run to cut thelead to 3-1. Reggie Smith’s two-out double drove it home. In thetop of the sixth, the Panthers scored twice to tie it, with AdamOgden’s two-out, RBI single being the key blow.

The seventh inning had plenty of drama and had its share ofmiscues. First, the visiting Panthers took a 4-3 lead when catcherKern Hoff singled home Hall, who had doubled. Prior to Hoff’s bighit, a Lawrence County throwing error had kept the inningalive.

BHS nearly put the game away but for an inning-ending, divingcatch by Cougar left-fielder Klein Harbour. Harbour’s big grab keptat least two runs off the board and gave his club a chance.

Leading off the bottom of the seventh, LCHS pitcher Drew Haleyreached on a dropped infield pop-up. Two batters later, thePanthers had a great chance to turn a game-ending double play, butan errant throw allowed Haley to race home with the tying run.Three pitches later, Harbour’s hit to right ended it.

“That was a great ending to an exciting game,” coach Chris Clarksaid. “It wasn’t the prettiest game ever, but both teams playedhard. I’m happy for our kids, especially for our two seniors.”

It was the final game at Jimmie Davis Park for Dusty Ladd andWill Dawsey, the only seniors on the LCHS roster.

Dawsey, Ladd, Harbour, Haley, David Gilbert, and Zack Powell hadhits for the Cougars.

Brooks Hall led the Panthers with two hits. Darius Perkins, BenGoza, Kern Hoff, Grant McDonnell, Adam Ogden, and Reggie Smith alsohad hits.

In his complete-game pitching effort, Hall allowed six hits andstruck out five.

LCHS starter Haley went six and two-thirds, allowing seven hitsand striking out four. Casey Williams came in and got the final outand was credited with the win. He struck out one and allowed onehit.

@Linescore:LAWRENCE COUNTY 5, BROOKHAVEN 4

Brookhaven

000

012

1 –

4

8

3

Lawrence Co.

000

300

2 –

5

6

4

@Bbstandings: Brooks Hall and Kern Hoff. Drew Haley, CaseyWilliams, and Zack Powell. WP-Williams.LP- Hall

HR-Dusty Ladd (LC) 2B-BrooksHall (B), Reggie Smith (B), Klein Harbour (LC), Drew Haley (LC).Multiple Hits-Brooks Hall (B)2.