By HARVEY SIMPSON

Dispatch Sports Editor

CAIRO — Crisp County High’s Lady Cougars took a crucial first step toward defending its Region 1-AAA softball title Tuesday with a 9-2 triumph over Cairo.

That outcome improved the overall record of coach Kevin Blampied’s visiting team to 4-2 heading into its 5 p.m. Thursday home opener vs. Peach County.

“This was a great way to open region play,” a beaming Blampied said after watching his team break open a tight 3-1 game with a six-run seventh inning.

“The girls were excited about coming down here as they know they have to play well to beat an always good Cairo team and I’m very proud of them for doing just that.”

Crisp never trailed in the contest, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the first.

The first of those runs crossed when Alston Waldrip’s fielder’s choice grounder plated Anna Posey who had lived on an error, moved to second when Hallye Hobbs got hit by a pitch and took third on a single by Ashley Holt. The second crossed as Taylor Holmes reached on another Syrupmaid boot.

Each team scored once in the fourth, with Crisp getting its tally on Anna Posey’s RBI single that plated Deanna Brubaker, a courtesy runner for catcher Shelby Simmons who had earlier reached on an error.

Rain that had begun to fall in the fifth frame really started coming down in the seventh as the teams played through the downpour.

Bases-loaded walks issued to Jamie Lee Yawn and Andrea Tucker forced in the visitors’ first two runs of that frame. A third scored as Simmons again lived on a Cairo miscue. Taylor Perry singled in a fourth run, a fifth crossed as Posey drew a walk and a passed ball let in the sixth.

Holt, who struck out nine, walked two and allowed just four hits in going the distance on the mound for the winners, kept the home team off the scoreboard in the last of the seventh to preserve the win.

Crisp’s B-team won 9-2 behind the pitching of Lakyn Arnett and the hitting of Emma Jarrett, Brittany Mitchell, Brittany Harpe and Shannon McNulty who each had a pair of safeties.