This fast-pitch softball season may not have gone well for South Pontotoc, but time may be on their side.

More experience could help the Lady Cougars field a more competitive squad in 2010, but this year’s campaign ended with a 7-2 loss to Mooreville in the season finale Friday at Lady Cougar Field.

Despite the loss — which dropped South Pontotoc to 12-13 overall and 0-8 in District 2-3A play — head coach Adam Patterson said he was pleased with the overall effort from his young team.

"To be as young as we were," Patterson said, "we played really, really well.

“We did not get 10-run ruled all season," he added. "We were in every game."



First inning SP lead

Against Mooreville, the Lady Cougars actually took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, only to see it slip away.

Freshman Emily Henson led off the South Pontotoc first inning by reaching on an error.

She then went to second on junior Jade Cobern's infield groundout and scored when sophomore Jala Parker launched a triple that one-hopped the left-field wall.

Parker scored on sophomore Anna Roberts' infield groundout to make it 2-0.



The second, third & fifth

Mooreville cut into the South Pontotoc lead with a single run in the second inning, then took its own lead with a pair of runs in the third.

A four-run fifth inning put the game away for Mooreville.



Elizabeth Henson

Freshman Elizabeth Henson took the mound loss and finished her season with a respectable 6-8 record. She worked all seven innings, giving up 10 hits and seven runs - five earned. She did not walk or strike out a batter.



Lady Cougar future

In his team's season finale, Patterson fielded a squad of four freshmen, three sophomores and an eighth grader in a preview of things to come next season.

Coach Patterson said the South Pontotoc Lady Cougars could improve their chances of winning next year by taking a few steps in the months to come.

"I feel like if all the girls come out and play slow-pitch softball this fall," he said, "and improve defensively, we're going to get better. It all depends on us playing more games, getting older and getting stronger."