Milford softball played an eventful week, Coach Shelly Mowinkel said, with five games on the schedule.
The Eagles had to come from behind to beat Wilber-Clatonia Aug. 31. The Wolverines led 7-1 after the second inning, and Mowinkel said her team was struggling with wet field conditions.
“I told the girls their backs were against the wall and asked how they would respond to adversity,” she said.
The Eagles responded with six runs in the third inning to tie the score at 7-7. Wilber scored two in the fourth, and Milford added two in the sixth. MHS scored three in the top of the seventh and held the Wolverines scoreless in the bottom of the inning for the win.
Mowinkel was pleased to see the team bounce back. She said she saw youth and inexperience early on but then growth and maturity as the game progressed.
The Eagles played Malcolm Sept. 2 in a game they got in around the weather. Malcolm’s team speed bothered the Eagles in the 10-2 loss.
“It was tough,” Mowinkel said. “We just couldn’t get in sync.”
She said singles by Malcolm hitters turn into doubles because they’re fast. Milford, though, was able to get hits throughout the game and kept the pressure on the Clipper defense.
“It was a good loss,” Mowinkel said. “We played well and learned a lot. I felt it was closer than the score indicated.”
It was the first seven-inning game for the Eagles because of run rules and time limits, the coach said.
Milford competed at Fairbury Sept. 4 and was 1-2 on the day, with a win over Centennial and losses to Northwest and Fillmore Central/Exeter-Milligan/Friend.
“There were moments of great things and moments of youth,” Mowinkel said.
Milford lost to Northwest 12-0 and to FCEMF 6-2 in eight innings and finished with an 8-4 win over Centennial.
Milford and FCEMF were tied 2-2 after seven innings so needed an eighth to decide the outcome. FCEMF put up four runs in the frame, and MHS couldn’t answer.
Mowinkel said the Eagles were putting the bat on the ball but not finding any gaps.
Riley Springer got the start for Milford against Centennial and threw well, inducing pop ups and ground balls from the Bronco batters. The defense behind her played error-free ball, Mowinkel said.
“It was a good game to finish on,” she said.
Milford (4-3) was to play at Southern Sept. 7, host Fairbury Thursday, Sept. 9, at 6:30 p.m. and travel to West Point-Beemer for a tournament Saturday, Sept. 11. The Eagles are to play DC West at 9 a.m.
