By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
April 19, 2002
NEWTON Brent McMillan (7-3) struck out 14 as he tossed a three-hitter to lead the Newton Tigers to a 5-2 win in the first game of a Class 2A state playoff best-of-three first-round series with St. Andrew's Thursday night at Tiger Field.
Game 2 is set for tonight at 7 p.m. at Ridgeland. A third game, if needed, would be at Newton Saturday at 1 p.m.
Fanning would get no argument from Newton coach Eddy Pierce.
Newton took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as Zack Logan reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a throwing error on Cody Savell's ground ball to Saints second baseman Curt Griffin.
The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the third as Jeremy Tune walked and went to second on a throwing error by Saint shortstop Taylor Jones when Tune was cleanly picked off first base by William Craig (3-5). Austin Bonds, who went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, followed with a double to the fence in right-center to drive in Tune.
The Saints had runners at second and third with nobody out in the top of the fourth, but McMillan retired the next two batters before walking Brad Baskin to load the bases. Sam Peeples surprisingly bunted back to McMillan who flipped to Tiger catcher Morgan Craven for the third out.
Newton got three runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Lucas Poole, Bonds, and Logan each had an RBI-single.
St. Andrew's got its two runs on a two-out single by Trea Brown in the top of the seventh.
Newton can wrap up the series tonight.
St. Andrew's is used to losing its first series opener in the playoffs. Over the last five years, only last year against Philadelphia did the Saints take their opening game in the first round of the playoffs.