By Bobby Allen

SDN Sports Editor

The Lady Tigers made quick work of Sweetwater Tuesday, plating 11 runs in the second inning of a 20-0, five-inning win.

With Ashley Martinez and Rachel Clanton both out with strep throat, the Lady Tigers (16-8, 8-0) got rolling early against the Lady Mustangs (3-13, 1-7).

“The girls knew they would have to step up, and they did,” head coach Darren Pool said.

After Amber Luecke made it 1-0 after one with an RBI single, Snyder kicked it into high gear in the second.

After two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with no out, Missy Vasquez cranked a three-run triple, then scored on a throwing error to make it 5-0.

Luecke -- 3-for-3 with two RBI -- drove in another run with a single, and Kelsi Johnson took a bases loaded walk to make it 7-0.

Vasquez, who went 2-2 with three RBIs, drove in the 10th run in her second at bat of the inning, and Snyder went on to score two more runs to lead 12-0 after two.

From there it was more of the same, as the Lady Tigers put up three in the third and five in the fourth to close it out.

Johnson was the winner, going all five innings while striking out six and allowing just one hit.

Clanton had a single, double and triple and drove in four runs, Johnson had two hits and an RBI, and Erin Hackfeld drove in four on a walk and a double.

Terann Ragland and Briana Bernal each collected two hits, while JV call-up Sarah Covington scored twice as a courtesy runner.

Pool was not only pleased with the performance, but glad that the large margin allowed his team to work on some areas in the batters’ box without worrying about the score.

“It helps,” he said of the 20-run margin. “We got to do some fundamental hitting and loosen up and play relaxed. We got to work on some things that we don’t get to use in close games.”

The Lady Tigers have four games left in the district schedule, as they move closer to clinching their second consecutive district title.

The team hosts Seminole Thursday at 5 p.m.

The JV (10-1-1, 5-0) also ran roughshod over their Sweetwater counterparts, 15-4, smacking 10 hits in the win.

Tara Robertson had five RBIs, while Destinee Proctor drove in three.

Covington and Jessica Calvert each laced a triple and drove in two runs, and Jessica Yanez got the win with a complete game.