McCOMB – The Lawrence County Cougars swept a Division 6-4A baseball double-header from McComb Saturday at McComb’s Rotary Field. The Cougars won the first game 11-1 in six-innings. In Game Two, a four-inning affair, LCHS won by a 20-8 margin.

With those results, Josh Garrett’s Cougars improved to 9-1 on the season and 3-0 in Division 6-4A play. McComb, coached by first-year mentor Matt White, fell to 4-4 overall and 0-3 in the division. Saturday’s game was a make-up of Friday’s rained-out action.

“We certainly weren’t sharp today,” said Garrett. “We screwed up a few things and pitched a pretty bad second game. But we swung it pretty well, and got two wins on a cold, wet, miserable day. We’ll take it and move on.”

It was indeed a cold and miserable day, but one Cougar who was red hot was senior left-hander Brennan Lang. In the first game of the double-header, Lang allowed just a run on four hits and struck out eight. At the plate, Lang went 3-for-4, with two doubles and four runs batted in.

“Brennan had a great game,” said Garrett. “I though it was his best pitching outing so far, along with a good day at the plate.”

The first game was much more competitive than the final score might indicate. The teams were knotted at 1-1 until the top of the fifth, when Lawrence County put up four runs. A Marcus Atterberry homerun accounted for the Cougars’ first run. In the fifth-inning explosion, Brandon Bullock had a leadoff homer, and Lang cleaned things up with a two-run double.

A six-run sixth inning was largely fueled by bases on balls, plus a Lang two-run single. Lang’s three hits led the Cougars. Atterberry, Bullock, Kasey Durr, T-Tez Cole, Marcus Kees, and Gabriel Lewis also had hits for LCHS.

A Kendrick Butler RBI double drove home McComb’s only run. Jay Smith, Cameron Johnson, and Dee Bonds also had hits. Chad Mortezion started and gave it a great fight for four innings. He was eventually relieved by Jamiah Andrews and Ja’Terrious Wilson.

A dropped fly ball in the bottom of the first staked McComb to a 2-0 lead in the second game. It stayed that way until the top of the third, when Lawrence County exploded for 13 runs. T-Tez Cole and Marcus Kees both hit three-run homers in the frame, and Seth Bass added a run-scoring double.

Down 13-2, McComb responded with six runs of its own. Five bases on balls from two LCHS pitchers aided the Tigers’ cause. Kendrick Butler, Ta Bonds, and Jay Smith each had RBI singles in the inning, and Equerius Brumfield added a double.

Lawrence County put the game away for good with seven more runs in the top of the fourth. A T-Tez Cole two-run single was the biggest hit.

Marcus Atterberry had four straight singles to lead the Cougars. Cole and Bass each had two hits. Durr, Bullock, Kees, Rishad Haynes, and Josh Stephens also hit safely. Stephens got just one hit on the day, but was all over the bases in both games. He drew a total of six bases on balls and scored five runs.

Brandon Bullock started and worked two-plus innings for the Cougars. He was relieved in the third by Kasey Durr. The pair combined to allow six hits, walk nine, and strike out five.

Brumfield and Smith each had two hits for McComb. Butler and Ta Bonds also had hits. Ja’Terrious Wilson started and worked two strong innings before things went awry in the third.