By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

The Lady Royals' memories haven't faded from a season ago.

Twin Rivers remembers all too well the loss in the district title game to East Carter. This year, the Royals are the top-seeded team and East Carter got the bye on the other side as No. 2.

Fourth-seeded Alton will face fifth-seeded Greenville at 2 p.m. Wednesday while No. 6 Clearwater will take on No. 3 Thayer at noon, all at Rains Field.

"I don't think focus will be a problem," Twin Rivers coach Rob Brown said of a potential game against Alton or Greenville. "What happened last year, we were stunned against East Carter."

Brown hopes his team is more mentally strong in the title game last season.

"I think mental toughness or lack of it showed," Brown said. "We got down on ourselves."

Twin Rivers (13-6) would like nothing more than a rematch with the Lady Redbirds to redeem themselves from last season after beating them 1-0 and 7-0 in the regular season this year.

"We have to worry about our own path to get (to the title game)," Brown said. "If we get to play for a championship and it happens to be against East Carter, the girls are going to be fired up."

East Carter (8-8) doesn't want to look past either second-round opponent in Clearwater (1-15) or Thayer.

"We haven't seen Thayer and we have played Clearwater and beat them," East Carter coach Angie Bowman said. "You never know. We will go into it like we haven't played either and play as hard as we can."

East Carter will be bringing sophomore pitcher Courtney Newman to the mound as she has much of the season.

"She enjoys doing what she does," Bowman said. "She is one of those kids that, when she is on, we are really on and if not, we have trouble."

The Lady Redbirds have strong senior leadership with eight on the field.

"It is like I have told them, 'You guys are the leaders and what you do, that is how the team goes,'" Bowman said. "If they show good leadership, the team will be good, if not, we will struggle."

Greenville (3-8) coach Bobby Montgomery likes his chances against the Comets in the later game Wednesday.

"I'm hoping to win the first game, I think we're good enough to win the first one," Montgomery said. "We will only go as far as our defense will allow us."

Leah Hillis is scheduled to pitch for a Lady Bears team that has been up and down in the hitting department all season.

"We've struggled offensively all year," Montgomery said. "We hit the ball hard a few times but it has been right at people."

In the early game Wednesday, pitching will be key for the Lady Tigers if they are to beat Thayer. The starting pitcher for Clearwater is still undetermined.

"I hope we can come out and play a strong game and really compete with them," Clearwater coach Shannon England said. "It is going to have to start with pitching. Once pitching sets the tone, everything else falls into place."