Philadelphia’s Tiesha Cole runs down a Eupora base runner while head coach Amir Hunt watches. The Lady Tornadoes won 6-1 on Friday to sweep the series and advance to the Class 2A state championship series.

The Philadelphia Lady Tornadoes have a double dose of speed, both on the mound and on the bases.

Led by junior pitcher Nia Luckett, the Lady Tornaodes beat Eupora 6-1 on Friday to sweep the series from the Lady Eagles.

The Lady Tornaodes will now advance to the Class 2A championship series where they will take on the winner of the Enterprise and Taylorsville series. The Class 2A series will be played at Mississippi State, beginning on Thursday at 1 p.m.

On Friday, the Lady Tornadoes used classic small-ball to score in the first four innings and build a 5-1 lead.

“That’s the big difference for us so far is our speed,” Philly coach David Frey said. “We haven’t really seen anybody that could throw us out on the bases yet. But our speed helps us a lot. That’s our strong point. We are small ball and I like small ball. That’s the was the way I played when I was growing up. We have speed and try to take advantage of it because we can small ball and run.”

Eupora coach Amir Hunt agreed that Philadelphia speed on the bases was the difference in the game.

“Speed kills and they have it,” Hunt said. “If they put the ball in play, they are going to kill you with speed. You just about have to play a perfect game against those top four or five girls to give yourself a chance. If you make one mistake, they are going to take extra bases. They have a chance to score three or four runs every time they get to the top of the lineup. They are just that solid up there.”

While the Lady Tornadoes were building a lead on the bases, Luckett was cruising through the Eupora lineup. Eupora scattered six hits and scored its only run in the third inning. Luckett only struck out three but also had putouts.

“Nia pitched really good today,” Frey said. “On this mound, she is unbelievable. Yesterday, she said Eupora’s mound was sloped down and she didn’t like it. She is used to to this and this is her home. They work hard and get better every week and if Nia’s on, that’s a plus. She gives you a chance against anybody. I feel good about where we are at right now.”

The Lady Tornadoes had six stolen bases and got two squeeze bunts from Tatyanna Boatman to score runs. 

Tyesha Cole was 2-for-3 at the plate with a a pair of singles, three stolen bases and two RBIs. Neaha Tanksley was 2-for-3 with a triple and scored a run.