Touch 'em all - Brooke Royster is greeted at plate after a homer Photos by Kyle Thornton

Girls win area, regional next

By Michael Butler

Tallassee rolled through last week's Class 5A/Area 5 tournament at Southside with three victories claiming the championship trophy and clinching a playoff berth. This will be the Tigers fifth straight post-season appearance.

"We are playing good right now," head coach Pat Love said. "We are playing good defense and getting timely hitting. Our pitching has been great."

On Wednesday, game one did not last long. Tallassee made quick work of Valley in three innings with a 15-0 drubbing. The Tigers swept the Rams in three meetings this season winning by a combined score of 47-0.

The Tigers had 12 hits. Cheyann Easterling, Abbie Davis and Kam Tate had two each. Brooke Royster hit her first homer of the tournament, but it would not be her last. Madeline Weldon threw three scoreless innings with two strikeouts and one walk.

Tallassee ended opening day with a 9-3 win over Beauregard. Royster picked up the win going all seven innings striking out two and allowing no free passes. Easterling had three hits. Davis had two. Jenna Manning also added a couple of singles.

The championship came on Thursday against Elmore County with the Panthers needing to beat Tallassee twice. The Tigers dismissed the "if game" possibility with an 8-4 win for the title.

In the circle, Royster got her second win of the tourney with the complete game performance. She also had two extra base hits, a double and a dinger. Her two-run blast sailed over the center field fence hitting the baseball batting barn in the seventh.

Easterling was 3-for-5. Manning, Marlee Stewart and Alli Smith picked up two hits apiece.

The win was the Tigers' fourth in a row. Tallassee appears to be playing its best ball when it counts. The team was 9-10 on March 11. The record is now 26-17 entering this week's Central Regional at Lagoon Park.

"We have to continue to play good to give ourselves a chance in the regional," said Love. "There are some great teams in our regional."

THS opens on Thursday, May 11 vs. Ramsay at 9 a.m.

WTLS/Score 94.7/Hit 106.9 will broadcast all post-season action. Airtime on Thursday will begin at 8:30 with the Tallassee Automotive Pregame Show.

Area Tournament Champs

Photos by Kyle Thornton

Schedule/Results

Central Regional Bracket (Lagoon Park, Montgomery)