DECATUR — The West Lauderdale Knights overcame a 6-2 deficit, scoring 11 runs in the top of the seventh inning to defeat the Newton County Cougars 13-6 Monday night. 

West Lauderdale coach Jerry Boatner was ready to tell his squad that they had gotten outplayed before the last at-bat barrage. 

“Awesome comeback; we got outplayed for six innings, but it’s a seven- inning game,” Boatner said. “We got good hitting in the seventh inning. It’s one of the best comebacks we’ve had in several years against a quality team.”

Chance Denson started for West and gave up five runs to the home standing Cougars before Boatner went to the bullpen for Ben Ethridge. Ethridge surrendered one more run in the third before silencing the Cougar bats to set up the last-inning heroics. 

Eli Harrison started for Newton County and gave up two runs in the second inning and one in the sixth to make it 6-3 heading into the seventh inning. 

Newton County head coach Wyatt Tullos called on Christian Aycox to close it down for the Cougars, but the Knights had other plans. 

West pounded seven hits, drew three walks and a hit by pitch and forced one error in the inning to erupt for 11 runs to hold a 13-6 lead with the Cougars having one half inning to get back in it. 

Ethridge induced a foul out to Hunter Eldridge at first, and fanned the next two Cougar hitters to end the game. 

Newton County jumped to a 5-2 lead in the second with the big hit coming in the form of a two-run double off the bat of Josh Ethridge. 

West (20-1, 9-0) was led at the plate by Chase Tilghman with a hit and three RBIs. Jeremy Davis had a single and two RBIs, and Cole Hurst added a single, double, an RBI and scored two runs. 

Newton County (12-10, 4-5) was led by Harrison with an RBI single. Ethridge had a double and two RBIs.