Before an overflow crowd of 500-plus fans at Moyer Field Tuesdaynight, the visiting Lawrence County Cougars defeated the BrookhavenPanthers 8-4 in a Division 6-4A showdown, thus splitting the seasonseries. It was a revenge match for the Cougars, after Brookhavenbeat Lawrence County 7-6 last Friday night at Jimmie Davis Park inMonticello.

Due to the Brookhaven Lady Panthers basketball team playing forthe Class 4A girls championship Friday, the baseball game withDivision 6-4A foe Florence has been moved to Thursday. The juniorvarsity game begins at 4:30 p.m.

Lawrence County travels to Mendenhall Friday.

Lawrence Co. 8, Brookhaven 4

Cougar starting pitcher Joseph Evans and reliever MackenzieWoods limited the Panthers to 4 hits in the game. Evans picked upthe win, even though he struggled on the mound. He went 4.2innings, allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits, including 8 walksand fanning 3 Ole Brook batters.

Woods tossed the final 2.1 innings, giving up no runs,1 hit andnotching 5 strikeouts.

“Joseph walked a lot of batters tonight, but he battled hard allnight,” said Cougar head coach Cory Keyes. “Mackenzie came in anddid a good job.”

With LCHS (8-3, 3-1) leading 4-3 heading into the top of thefourth, the Cougar offense came to life.

With 2 outs, Evans walked. Catcher Zachary Summers singled. On a2-2 pitch, shortstop Trent Hartzog launched a 3-run blast over theleft field fence. Keyes’ ballclub had an 8-3 lead.

“Trent has not been hot lately,” added Keyes. “He saw a goodpitch and hit it out. I’m proud of the whole team.”

Brookhaven (8-3, 1-1) could not muster any offense, but itwasn’t from lack of effort. The Panthers got singles from ElliottWarren, Bud Britt and Mitch Pappas. Cody Ratcliff tripled.

Ole Brook got on the board in the second inning, trailing 2-0.Pitcher Josh Coone walked and later scored on Ratcliff’s 3-bagger.The Panther deficit was cut to a single run, 4-3, in the third.With 1 out, Paxton King walked. Two batters later, Cole Newellreached on an error that allowed King to score. Pappas’ singlescored Newell.

“Our guys played hard and battled tonight,” said Ole Brookskipper Randy Spring. “I am proud of their effort.”

Coone, who had to leave the game in the third with a left-wristinjury, was the losing pitcher. He threw 2 innings, giving up 2earned runs on 3 hits with a walk and a strikeout. Newell and NickHelmstetter each made a relief appearance.

Lending support for the Cougars were Nick Jackson with 2 singlesand 3 RBIs. Hartzog singled, homered, scored 3 runs and had 4 RBIs.Summers singled twice and scored 2 runs.

Brookhaven got run support from King, Newell and Ratcliff.