MONTICELLO – Terry defeated Lawrence County 4-3 in baseball action Friday night at Jimmie Davis Park. The visiting Bulldogs plated 4 runs in the top of the fourth, and fought off a major Cougar threat in the bottom of the seventh, to earn the win.

With the victory, Jerry Gibson’s Bulldogs improved to 18-5 on the season. Terry will face Hattiesburg in the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs next Friday. Lawrence County, under coach Cory Keyes, fell to 12-12 on the season.

“The guys gave good effort,” said Keyes, “and Hedge (John Hedgepeth) threw us a very good game, certainly his best of the season. But we seem to find a way to lose. It’s happened time and time again.

“I thought we played some of our best baseball of the season this week, against two quality teams in Terry and Wesson. But two bad defensive innings cost us what could have been two quality wins.”

LCHS took a 2-0 lead through 2 innings, as freshman right-fielder T-Tez Cole had a 2-out, 2-run single. It stayed that way until the top of the fourth, when a freakish infield error by the Cougars opened the floodgates in a 4-run Terry inning.

Terry led 4-2 until the bottom of the seventh, when a Rusty Rowells leadoff single, and a booming double by catcher Cade Turner set Lawrence County up with runners at second and third, with none out. Misfortune hit the Cougars. A base-running error later in the frame killed the potential tying run.

Hedgepeth, a senior, in what was likely his final high school start, was outstanding. He struck out 10, allowing just 1 hit batsman and 7 Terry singles.

Matt Patterson led LCHS with 2 hits. Cole, Turner, Rowells, Patrick Little, and Hunter Stephens each had 1 hit.

Jared Savell, who started the game at catcher, and ending up earning a save as a relief pitcher, led Terry with 2 hits. C.J. Hughes, Josh Merchant, Aldarius Thomas, Patrick Hughes, and Stephen Barnett also had hits.

Barnett, a left-hander, threw 6 strong innings to earn the win. He struck out 10. Savell inherited a base runner in the seventh, but managed to save the win for Barnett.

Junior Varsity Results

In junior varsity action, Lawrence County edged Terry 3-2. Josh Stephens worked the full 5 innings to earn the win.

Stephens and Blake Williams had hits.