One of the goals of every softball team in the state is to start the season with a win and go from there.

It’s what coaches like to call the one-game-at-a-time approach.

Paige Peurifoy was her usual dominant self on the mound, pitching a complete-game two-hitter, and her teammates provided more than enough run support in the Starr’s Mill Lady Panthers’ 4-0 season-opening victory Wednesday over the Newnan Lady Cougars.

“Any win feels good,” Starr’s Mill coach Mark Williamson said. “The last two seasons, we haven’t started real well, so we’re happy to get this win. We didn’t hit the ball great, but we didn’t make any errors, and we got good pitching.”

Starr’s Mill essentially put the game out of reach in the bottom of the second inning, scoring two runs.

Following a Tiffany Taylor walk, Peurifoy put down a sacrifice bunt that Newnan’s third baseman fielded and threw over the head of the second baseman covering first. The error allowed Taylor to score and Peurifoy to advance all the way to third.

Veronica Harper, pinch-running for Peurifoy, later scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0.

Starr’s Mill played more small ball in the fourth, putting down three consecutive bunts, en route to building its lead.

Taylor led off the inning with a single, and Peurifoy then reached on an error on a sacfrice bunt. After Mandi Jones’ sacrifice bunt put both runners in scoring position, Allyson Savage continued the bunting frenzy with a suicide squeeze that scored Taylor.

An error by Newnan’s shortstop on a grounder hit by Savage scored Starr’s Mill’s fourth and final run in the sixth.

Peurifoy overwhelmed Newnan’s batters, giving up only two singles, striking out 10 and walking one. She faced only three batters over the limit.

“Paige started out kind of where she started off last year,” Williamson said. “We feel like when she’s pitching, we’ve got a really good chance of winning. We just need to keep her healthy.”

Starr’s Mill will be busy this weekend, taking part in the two-day “Up the Creek” tournament at McCurry Park in Fayetteville. Other teams playing in the tournament include Sandy Creek, McIntosh, Whitewater, Fayette County, Newnan, East Coweta and Northgate, among others.

The competition will be stiff, but the tournament will give Starr’s Mill the opportunity to see how well someone besides Peurifoy pitches.

“It’s a tough tournament,” Williamson said. “With one pitcher, you’ve got to be concerned. We’re going to need somebody else to step up and pitch.”

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