By By Adam Robinson
sports editor
The T.R. Miller Lady Tiger softball team ended their regular season Thursday at home against J.U. Blacksher with a 6-1 win.
The win improved the Lady Tigers to 20-3 overall. The team will be back in action Tuesday when they host the area tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Lady Tigers will take on No. 4 seed Bayside Academy.
With a win, the Lady Tigers will take on the winner of Choctaw County and Cottage Hill at 3:30 p.m. With a loss, they will play the loser of the previous game at 3:30 p.m. on Field A. Other game times are set for 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and an 8 p.m. game will be played if needed. Admission to the area tournament is $6.
The tournament will be a double elimination event with the top two teams advancing to regional play.
In the game Thursday, T.R. Miller Lady Tiger head coach Greg White said starting pitcher Taylor Guthrie had a great game on the mound in the win.
Guthrie went the complete game on the mound for the Lady Tigers allowing one unearned run and walking five along with scattering four hits and striking out eight.
T.R. Miller scored two runs in the first inning, one in the second, two in the fourth, and one more in the sixth inning to take a 6-0 lead before allowing J.U. Blacksher to score one run in the top of the seventh on two Lady Tiger errors.
At the plate for the Lady Tigers, Leah Brundidge led the team as she went 3-for-4 with two triples and two RBIs.
Natalie Neal, Guthrie, Takeysia McFugerson, Leigh Margaret Bostic, and Kristen Booker were all 1-for-3 in the win with Teralyn Moore going 1-for-2.
Neal and Moore had one RBI each.
Not only was the win a good way to end the regular season for the Lady Tigers, but T.R. Miller earned the win on senior day for two of their seniors—Sarah Lee and Janel McCorvey.
Although McCorvey has been out for the entire season with a knee injury she suffered during basketball season, she was able to play in the outfield for one batter on defense Thursday.
T.R. Miller 17,
W.S. Neal 3
After taking the week of spring break off, the T.R. Miller Tiger softball team got back to work Tuesday with a road win over W.S. Neal 17-3 in five innings.
Both teams played scoreless after the first inning until T.R. Miller scored five runs in the top of the second and the Lady Eagles countered with one of their own in the bottom of the inning.
T.R. Miller later scored four in the third and three in the fourth to take a 12-1 lead only to see W.S. Neal cut the lead to 12-3 with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
In the top of the fifth inning, T.R. Miller scored five runs and held W.S. Neal scoreless to get the win by 14 runs.
With the win, T.R. Miller improved to 19-3 and W.S. Neal fell to 6-13.
Taylor Guthrie started on the mound for the Lady Tigers and earned the win as she pitched the first two innings and allowed one run on one hit and struck out four.
Laurel Billy then pitched the third and fourth innings and allowed two runs and two and struck out two.
Natalie Neal pitched the final inning and allowed no runs, one hit and struck out one.
Leah Brundidge went 3-for-4, with four RBIs and a triple.
Neal went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Emily Waters was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a double.
Guthrie was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
For W.S. Neal, Hadaway pitched the complete game giving up five hits with five strikeouts and four walks.
Lauren Boatwright was 1-for-3 with a run scored and Tiffany Pettis was 1-for-1 with a run scored.
Britta Wood was 1-for 2 with a run scored and Amanda Crawford had RBI on fielder’s choice.