Going into Monday it had been over a week since the Morgan Academy softball team had taken the field for practice or a game. With the state tournament barely over a week away, Senators head coach Ed Miller knew his team needed a good test.

 

The Senators (25-6), ranked No. 4 in the latest Alabama Sports Writers Association rankings, got one Monday from Macon East, the team ranked No. 1.

 

In a game dubbed as a practice contest for each side, the Knights put on a show, scoring six runs in the first three innings to blow away the Senators 9-2.

 

“[They were] looking for somebody to play, and we were looking for somebody to play, and I was thinking ‘Why not play the best team in the state and see what you’ve got?” Miller said.

 

Morgan Academy had only two hits in the game and the Senators misplayed several balls in the field to give Macon East, a team that doesn’t need any help, a little extra assistance on the scoreboard.

 

It wasn’t the kind of performance Miller was looking for from a Senators squad that has aspirations of winning a state championship. Macon led 9-0 before Kendall Veach scored on a single by Ansley Smitherman. Morgan’s other run came on a double steal.

 

“I thought we’d come out here with a different intensity but we didn’t,” Miller said. “We came out here and drug around for five innings before we finally started playing.”

 

Miller did acknowledge the Senators weren’t really concerned with the final result. For Morgan, the game was more about fine-tuning a lineup that will need to be on top of its game to win a state championship. All 12 players batted in the lineup Monday as Miller tried to find consistency towards the bottom of the Senators batting order.

 

“We batted 12 people so you don’t get to the top of the lineup as quick, but I wanted to see who was going to hit,” Miller said. “I’m looking for nine hitters and the bottom isn’t producing right now, so we gave everybody a shot to show what they could do right now against a good pitcher.”

 

Knights pitcher Bailey Singleton was on top of her game with eight strikeouts. She shut down a Senators lineup that featured seven seniors — Veach, Margaret Mims, Caitlyn Wilkerson, Jessica Fuller, Lauren Criswell, Jordan Averette and Maggie Jackson — playing their final home game.

 

Miller, who is retiring at the end of the year after over three years with the school, was also coaching his final home game.

 

Macon East is in class 2A of the AISA, so the Senators will not have to see them again in the playoffs.

 

Miller said the teams have another practice game set up for next week too though, just so they can each get a final look before the state tournament gets underway.

 

Morgan plays city rival Meadowview Christian Tuesday in an out of association game that will also not count against the Senators’ final record, but then has the class 3A, region 2 tournament at Fain Park in Montgomery Thursday.

 

Even if Morgan loses in the region tournament, the Senators will play in the state tournament May 1-2 at Lagoon Park in Montgomery. The region tournament is just for seeding, but Miller said he still hopes to win it.