Playing in their first game since last Thursday, the T.R. Miller Lady Tiger softball picked up two key area game wins over the Bayside Academy Lady Admirals Thursday night at home. The Lady Tigers took down the Lady Admirals 10-0 in six innings in game one and—playing as the visiting team in game two—the Lady Tigers cruised their way to a 17-6 win to improve to 7-4 overall this season and to 3-1 in conference play.
The wins for the Lady Tigers were a step in the right direction in helping them reach one of their goals this season.
“I told the girls after the game it was two big wins,” Lady Tiger head coach Greg White said. “Those were area wins and it keeps us still in the hunt for the area championship and that is one of our goals. I wished we could have finished the second one off a little earlier. We had two chances but we didn’t get some outs when we needed them. Every time Bayside would score we would answer them though and I was proud of that. When they cut our lead, we would answer with more and I was glad to see that. Our kids kept playing and I appreciate that. We did not lay down. We got ahead and stayed ahead. It was two big wins for us.”
In game one, the Lady Tigers struck early in often to help them take down the Lady Admirals.
T.R. Miller scored four runs in the first innings, one in the second, two in the third and three more in the sixth to get the 10-run mercy rule.
Laurel Billy earned the win in the circle for the Lady Tigers. Billy went five innings and allowed five hits, no runs, walked none and struck out two. Taylor Austin went the final inning and allowed one hit and struck out two.
At the plate, Steely Ruzic had two singles, Moriah Brundidge had a double and Ali Taylor had two singles. Abbi Roberts, Kelsey Thompson, and Jessica Allan all had singles. Krystal Bell had a single and a double along with Morgan Longmire. Taylor, Thompson, Brundidge, Bell, and Allan all had one RBI each while Taylor had two RBIs.
In game two, T.R. Miller pounded out 16 hits to help aid in a 17-6 win.
T.R. Miller led 10-0 after five innings before Bayside cut the lead to 10-2. After T.R. Miller took a 12-2 lead, Bayside scored four runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 12-6. The Lady Tigers added five runs in the seventh and held Bayside scoreless in the final inning to get the win by 11.
Of the 16 hits, Madison Douglas had two singles and Thompson had a triple and a single. Bell had a single and a double while Roberts had a single. Brundidge had two triples and a single while Allan had a double and a single. Austin had two singles and Morgan Longmire had a single and an inside-the-park homerun.
Brundidge was the winning pitcher as she went 5 1/3 innings and allowed five hits, six runs, walked and struck out two while hitting one.
Austin went the final distance in the circle and allowed one hit and struck out two.