By Michael Butler

The Tallassee High School baseball team is headed to the third round of the AHSAA Class 4A playoffs. The Tigers beat W.S. Neal 7-5 and 11-1 at Southside Field on Thursday.

“Wow, what a crowd,” head coach John Goodman said. “(It’s) a great place to play baseball. It was also great to see a lot of former players down at the field.”

Some of those guys were in pinstripes the last time Tallassee reached the quarterfinals in consecutive seasons in 1992 and ’93, a feat matched by the current squad this week. Goodman was an was an assistant coach to Ronnie Baynes in ’92 and the head coach the next season.

“It’s great to be in the final eight,” Goodman added. “We’ve got to play our best ball. Everyone is really good now.”

In game one Thursday, Jack Butler, pitching in relief, picked up the win going 5 2/3 innings giving up one earned run. He allowed three hits, struck out two and walked one.

The Tigers (22-10) broke open a 5-5 game in the bottom of the sixth when Thomas Lemmond’s single scored Bryson Rigsby and Avery Brantley, putting Tallassee in front for the first time of the day.

Lemmond was 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs. Brue Milner was also 2-for-3 with a walk and one run batted in.

In game two, Lemmond pitched all seven innings scattering seven hits in the victory. He struck out five and walked one. W.S. Neal (16-8) got its only run in the first.

The Tigers pounded out 12 hits, led by Milner’s 4-for-5 effort. He drove in four runs. Lemmond and Chase Chumley added two hits each.

“We got great pitching and timely hitting. The defense played great,” Goodman noted. “We had a great week of practice, and it carried over greatly. I’m very proud of this team. We’ve had our setbacks, but they just keep moving forward.”

Tallassee will play the winner of Opp/Bibb County next week. All playoff games will be broadcast on WTLS – Score 94.7/Hit 106.9.