Miller pitches Sterling past West Deptford
There was no mystery to Sterling's mastery of West Deptford on Monday night. The Silver Knights beat the Eagles for the sixth time in the last two seasons behind senior Andrew Miller, who was dominant on the mound and also delivered the game's biggest hit.
There was no mystery to Sterling's mastery of West Deptford on Monday night.
The Silver Knights beat the Eagles for the sixth time in the last two seasons behind senior Andrew Miller, who was dominant on the mound and also delivered the game's biggest hit.
Miller, a lefthander and Maryland recruit, pitched a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts as 14th-seeded Sterling stunned third-seeded West Deptford, 5-1, in the first round of the South Jersey Group 2 tournament under the lights at Union Field.
"He was exceptional," West Deptford coach John Oehler said of Miller. "He's special."
Relying almost exclusively on a sharp fastball, Miller recorded strikeouts for the final five outs as Sterling (13-9) won its seventh game in a row and advanced to face sixth-seeded Buena, the defending Group 2 state champion, in the second round Thursday.
Eric Ainsley had both hits, including an RBI single in the second inning, for West Deptford (16-8).
"We needed to make him throw secondary pitches for strikes," Oehler said of Miller. "But he dominated us with his fastball."
Miller emptied the bases with a three-run triple to give Sterling a 3-1 lead in the top of the third. Another run scored on Jayson Bullock's RBI single and another crossed on a balk as the Silver Knights took a 5-1 advantage.
"I was looking for a first-pitch fastball," said Miller, who roped the first pitch into the gap in left-center field.
The four-run lead was plenty of cushion for Miller, who faced just 18 batters in the final five innings.
"My slider wasn't there," Miller said. "So I was trying to mix speeds with my fastball and throw the two-seamer on the outside corner. I just wanted to pound the zone."
Miller has drawn interest from professional scouts in advance of the draft in early June. He said he was scheduled to make a visit to Cincinnati for a workout with the Reds on Saturday.
"He's going to do well," Oehler said.
Sterling 005 000 0 - 5 4 0
West Deptford 010 000 0 - 1 2 2
WP: Andrew Miller. LP: Derek Wakeley.
2B: S-Andrew Miller.