By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
Greg White admitted he had virtually no knowledge of his sub-state opponent, the Slocomb Lady Red Tops.
The Lady Tigers played their game and played it well, as they disposed of Slocomb in straight games in the best-of-three series. T.R. Miller cruised to a 7-1 win in game one and blanked the Lady Red Tops 3-0 in game two.
The win sent T.R. Miller (17-5) into Saturday's second and final sub-state round series at LAMP. LAMP (10-15) upset Montgomery Catholic in three games Tuesday to win its series.
Saturday's winner will advance to the Class 3A state tournament at Montgomery, which gets under way Thursday and will conclude Friday.
The Lady Tigers also went after a school record for on-the-field wins in a season Saturday. Both the 2004 and 2005 teams won 18 games, one more than this year's squad. The 2004 edition is actually credited with 21 wins, but three of those were forfeits.
T.R. Miller 7, Slocomb 1
It did not take long for the Lady Red Tops to plate their only run of the day. Leadoff batter Kara Wells gave Slocomb a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when she doubled and scored on a throwing error.
It took just one swing by Terri Lynne Peacock in the bottom of the first inning to tie it when she belted a solo homerun.
The Lady Tigers took the lead for good in the bottom of the second inning when Haley Rilling reached on an error, moved up a base on a sacrifice by Leslie Nalty and scored when Peacock reached on another error.
T.R. Miller maintained that 2-1 edge until the bottom of the fifth. A single by Haley Rilling and walks to Leslie Nalty and Peacock loaded the bases. Leigh Cooper also walked to force home Rilling, which made it 3-1.
The Lady Tigers made their lead a lot more comfortable in the bottom of the sixth with three insurance runs. Emily Layton singled and took second on a throwing error. Brandi Kennedy beat out an infield single. Layton scored when Keyetta Jones reached on an error. Rilling beat out a bunt single, and a throwing error on the play allowed Kennedy to score to make it 5-1. Nalty hit into a double play, but Jones scored before the play was completed to make it 6-1.
That was plenty of support for Cooper, who baffled the Lady Red Tops with a three-hitter.
T.R. Miller vs. Slocomb
Slocomb 100 000 0 – 1 3 2
T.R. Miller 101 013 X – 6 4 1
T.R. Miller 3, Slocomb 0
The Lady Tigers completed the sweep in game two on the strength of Leigh Cooper's second stellar pitching performance of the day, this one a four-hit shutout.
The Lady Tigers wasted several scoring chances and stranded nine runners on base, but scratched out just enough offense to win.
T.R. Miller scored the only run it needed in the top of the second inning when Rachel Bostic singled, went to second base on a wild pitch and scored on Brandi Kennedy's RBI single.
The one run was all Cooper had to work with until the top of the fifth inning when the Lady Tigers finally gave her a little breathing room. Haley Rilling beat out an infield single and went all the way to third on a sacrifice by Leslie Nalty. The extra base Rilling took came into play when Terri Lynne Peacock hit a sacrifice fly that made it 2-0. Cooper helped her own cause when she doubled and scored when Emily Layton reached on a throwing error.
The only real threat Cooper faced came in the bottom of the fourth when the Lady Red Tops got the first two batters on base through an error and a single. Cooper was able to end the threat when she got Lacy Williams to line into a double play and Hayden West to pop up.
T.R. Miller vs. Slocomb
T.R. Miller 010 020 0 – 3 10 1
Slocomb 000 000 0 – 0 4 3