By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
There is a reason why Terri Lynne Peacock hits in the cleanup sot for the T.R. Miller Lady Tigers softball team.
The W.S. Neal Lady Blue Eagles found out why Monday, as Peacock slugged the Lady Tigers to a 13-0, five-inning triumph at East Brewton.
All the junior catcher did was slug two homeruns, leg out a triple and drive in seven runs.
While homeruns are not an unusual item in girls softball, most are of the inside-the-park variety. Both of Peacock's roundtrippers sailed over the rightfield wall and landed in nearly the same identical spot.
Peacock's first blast was a grand slam that capped off a seven-run second inning and doubled what had been a 4-0 Lady Tigers' lead to 8-0. Then in the fifth inning she drilled an RBI triple and capped off her big day with a two-run shot in the top of the fifth inning.
Peacock was the not the only T.R. Miller player who had a stellar performance. Junior Leigh Cooper moved from her customary shortstop position to the mound and threw a one-hit shutout. The lone Lady Blue Eagle to break through against Cooper was Jessica Lambert, who lined a two-out single in the bottom of the third inning. Cooper struck out five and walked three (Crystal Mealer twice and Brittany Tagudar once).
Monday's performance matched the one-hit shutout Cooper threw against W.S. Neal in last year's Area Tournament opener.
T.R. Miller (2-0) had only three other hits in addition to Peacock's three, as Leslie Nalty, Haley Rilling and Cooper all had one. The Lady Tigers' attack was aided by 10 walks issued by W.S. Neal pitching.
T.R. Miller returns to action Thursday when it hosts J.U. Blacksher at 4:30 p.m. The Lady Tigers have also learned they will open up Friday's Andalusia Tournament with a 5 p.m. game against Straughn, a team they beat 12-5 last week.
Meanwhile W.S. Neal (0-3), which hosted Clarke County Tuesday, travels to Excel Friday for a 4 p.m. junior varsity/varsity twinbill.
At W.S. Neal
T.R. Miller 270 22 – 13 6 0
W.S. Neal 000 00 – 0 1 1