Milligan flirts with perfection, Lady Rockets run-rule Tigerettes

Anthony S. Puca Sports Editor
Posted 4/20/21

The Forrest Lady Rockets have been beset with the injury bug the last few weeks, but they have plugged on.

Forrest lost its first district game since April 27, 2016 at Moore County when they fell 12-2 at Nolensville on April 8.

Since the loss to the Lady Knights, Forrest has reeled off four straight wins, including a 10-0 five-inning run-rule win over Marshall County Tuesday night at the Field of Dreams in Chapel Hill.

“Definitely a big win for district play, but also a pride win,” Forrest coach Shelby Lightfoot said. “Anytime you play anyone in the county you want to come out on top.”

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Milligan flirts with perfection, Lady Rockets run-rule Tigerettes

Posted

The Forrest Lady Rockets have been beset with the injury bug the last few weeks, but they have plugged on.

Forrest lost its first district game since April 27, 2016 at Moore County when they fell 12-2 at Nolensville on April 8.

Since the loss to the Lady Knights, Forrest has reeled off four straight wins, including a 10-0 five-inning run-rule win over Marshall County Tuesday night at the Field of Dreams in Chapel Hill.

“Definitely a big win for district play, but also a pride win,” Forrest coach Shelby Lightfoot said. “Anytime you play anyone in the county you want to come out on top.”

Ashley Milligan has been hobbled by a foot injury, but it didn’t show Tuesday night as the senior Forrest ace tossed four innings of perfect ball before settling for a one-hitter versus the Tigerettes.

“Ashley is a dominating presence on the mound,” Lightfoot said. “She had a great game last night, but there is a still a few things we need to work on as we go deeper into the season.”

“I know that if she gets those pitches worked out she will be unstoppable.”

Jessa Lancaster had the lone hit off of Milligan and that came after Kaniyah Taylor broke up Milligan’s perfect game with a lead off base on balls in the top of the fifth inning.

Forrest pounded out 10 hits in the contest as Jenna Blanton and Laura Mealer had two hits apiece while Karley Daughrity, Abby Ferguson, Milligan, Macyn Kirby, Katelyn Helmick, and Briley Burnham all had one safety.

“We have been working very hard on the offensive part of our game this year,” Lightfoot said. “Having a year off, hurt players, and a bunch of new faces in the lineup we have had to focus on how to effectively put the ball in play.”

“We are slowly getting better, but still a lot of improvement to make.”

Milligan set down the Tigerettes in order in the top of the first inning before Forrest came up with a pair of small-ball runs in the home half of the inning.

Blanton led off with a bunt single and scooted all the way to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Daughrity.

Mealer followed with an RBI single and wound up on third base after stealing second and advancing on a wild throw.

Mealer came home on a passed ball to make it 2-0 and Milligan induced three straight groundouts in the top of the second inning.

Kirby reached on an infield error to lead off bottom of the inning and was sacrificed to second on a Helmick bunt before scoring on a fielder’s choice RBI by Burnham.

MCHS went down 1-2-3 in the top of the third inning before the Lady Rockets busted the game wide open in the home half of the stanza.

Blanton and Daughrity opened the barrage with back-to-back doubles to make it 4-0 and then Mealer, Ferguson, Milligan, Kirby, Helmick, and Burnham all singled as the score grew to 9-0.

Blanton came back up and made it 10-0 with a sacrifice fly RBI.

“That was a big inning for us,” Lightfoot said. “Again, we have been focusing on hitting a ton, so for the girls to string that many hits together was a big accomplishment for us.”

Milligan set down MCHS in order once again in the top of the fourth and Tigerettes’ ace Taylor Pickle did the same to the Lady Rockets in the home half of the stanza.

Milligan was three outs from perfection in the top of the sixth before Taylor drew a 3-2 base on balls.

After a groundout, Lancaster busted up the no-no with a line drive base hit to left field before Milligan finished the game in style, striking out the final two Marshall County batters to end the game.

Forrest travels to Murfreesboro Central Magnet School for another District 12-AA on Thursday before taking part in the Coffee County Tournament this weekend.

“I think we are finally getting players comfortable in positions as we start the back half of our season,” Lightfoot said. “Hopefully we can stay healthy and try to make a run at the end.”

The Lady Rockets play Coffee County and Cheatham County JV on Friday and Cascade, Warren County JV, and Riverdale on Saturday.

The big rematch with Nolensville is on April 27 at Chapel Hill at 5:30 p.m.

“I will put that loss on me,” Lightfoot said about the April 8th loss to the Lady Knights. “I did not have them prepared going into that game.”

“The pitcher (Rylan Smith) at Nolensville throws well and I didn’t have the girls properly prepared for that. Since that loss, we have put a lot of focus on hitting and should give them a better game next Tuesday.”

District 12-AA Standings

Forrest 13-3-1, 6-1

Nolensville 11-5, 5-1

Marshall County 9-9, 4-3

Giles County 3-7, 3-3

Community 16-7-1, 1-5

MCM 3-17, 0-6

Marshall County 000 00-0 1 3

Forrest 217 0X-10 10 0

Marshall County: Jessa Lancaster 1-for-2.

BB: Kaniyah Taylor.

Team LOB: 2

Fielding

E: Ellie Luce, Taylor, Lancaster.

LP: Taylor Pickle (4IP, 10H, 10R, 7ER, 0K, 0BB).

Forrest: Jenna Blanton 2-for-3, Laura Mealer 2-for-3, Karley Daughrity 1-for-2, Abby Ferguson 1-for-3, Ashely Milligan 1-for-2, Macyn Kirby 1-for-2, Katelyn Helmick 1-for-1, Briley Burnham 1-for-1.

RS: Blanton 2, Mealer 2, Kirby 2, Daughrity, Ferguson, Helmick, Addison Bunty.

2B: Blanton.

RBI: Helmick 2, Mealer 2, Blanton, Burnham, Ferguson, Milligan.

SAC: Burnham, Daughrity, Helmick.

ROE: Macyn Kirby.

SB: Bunty, Ferguson, Kirby, Mealer.

CS: Briley Burnham.

Team LOB: 0

WP: Ashley Milligan (5IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 6K, 1BB).