By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
Back-to-back wins hardly marks the beginning of a dynasty, but it is something the T.R. Miller Lady Tigers softball team hopes will help them turn the corner for the remainder of the season.
T.R. Miller notched successive wins for the first time this season Monday when it downed the host J.U. Blacksher Lady Bulldogs 6-1.
Nalty frustrated the Lady Bulldogs throughout the game, as the junior righthander gave up just two hits and one walk to go along with 10 strikeouts.
It was not just Nalty's pitching that burned J.U. Blacksher. Nalty also led the way at the plate with three singles and three runs scored.
While Nalty led an 11-hit attack, it was the middle school collection of eighth grader Natalie Neal and seventh graders Leah Brundidge and Taylor Guthrie that was the heart of the offensive attack.
Neal had a pair of singles with a stolen base, while Brundidge also had a pair of singles. The biggest bat of all belonged to Guthrie, who muscled up for two RBI
triples and drove in three RBIs overall.
Nalty and Guthrie gave an early preview of things to come in the top of the first inning when Nalty delivered the first of her three singles and Guthrie tripled her home two batters later.
J.U. Blacksher picked up its only run, an unearned run, in the bottom of the second to tie the game. Brandi Byrd reached on an error, stole second and scored when Jennifer Caraway's infield grounder was misplayed.
A similar combination that gave the Lady Tigers their first lead gave T.R. Miller its second advantage in the fourth inning. Nalty led off the inning with a single and two batters later Guthrie hit her second triple of the game to score courtesy runner Shandreka Foster. The Lady Tigers extended their lead to 3-1 when Keyetta Jones beat out an infield single.
T.R. Miller ran its cushion up to 6-1 with a three-run rally in the fifth. Neal, Nalty and Brundidge hit successive singles to load the bases. Guthrie grounded out, but that plated Neal to make it 4-1. Two more runs scored when Jones' flyball was dropped by the J.U. Blacksher second baseman.
That was more than enough support for Nalty, who struck out at least one batter in six of the seven innings.
T.R. Miller's junior varsity beat J.U. Blacksher 7-0.
Miranda Anderson threw a two-hitter for the win.
Guthrie followed up her big varsity game with four more hits, two doubles and two triples to go with four RBIs. Emily Waters and Elizabeth Nelson each added two hits.
T.R. Miller, which played a twinbill at Monroe County Tuesday, returns home Thursday where it will face Excel at 4:30 p.m. The Lady Tigers then head back out on the road Friday
for a 4:30 p.m. contest at Andalusia.
At J.U. Blacksher
T.R. Miller 100 230 0 - 6 11 3
JU Blacksher 010 000 0 - 1 2 2