The Milford Eagles opened the softball season Aug. 21 with an 11-0 loss to Yutan/Mead, then went 1-2 in their home tournament Aug. 23.
“We started off alright,” Coach Chad Carraher said of the Yutan/Mead game. “We were in it until the fourth or fifth inning.”
A couple defensive mistakes allowed YM to extend its lead. Meanwhile, the Milford bats were cold, with the Eagles collecting just two hits – a double by Addison DeLong and a single by Maeli Kubicek.
Delaney Carraher, Kubicek and Kyla Troyer each pitched for Milford, combining for four strikeouts.
The tournament did not start well for MHS Aug. 23. The Eagles drew Standing Bear for the opening game and started Kubicek in the circle. She threw 10 pitches and allowed three hits, including two home runs, as the Grizzlies came out swinging.
After a six-run first, however, Milford calmed down and held its own, Coach Carraher said.
“We had some hard hits right to them,” he said.
Standing Bear ended up winning the tournament and scored 41 runs over its three games.
The Grizzlies’ pitcher held Milford to just one hit, a double by Kubicek.
In game two, Milford held Nebraska City scoreless through five innings and led 2-0 going into the bottom of the sixth. The Pioneers scored three in the bottom of the inning to walk off with the win.
Coach Carraher was pleased to see Milford score its runs playing “small ball” (using bunts, infield hits and stolen bases) with the bottom of its lineup.
“We were in control the entire game,” Coach Carraher said.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Nebraska City hit a single, then two errors loaded the bases. A hit batter gave the Pioneers their first run, and they scored two more on a single.
The Eagles came back with a 4-3 win over McCook in the final game of the day. Kubicek got the start and struck out 14 batters in 6.2 innings. Carraher got the final out, also by strikeout.
At the plate, Emily Kenning led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run, and Addison DeLong hit a solo shot with one out in the fourth.
The Eagles added two runs in the fifth and needed those, as McCook put up one each in the sixth and seventh.
Coach Carraher said the team was determined not to let McCook walk off with the win.
“It can’t happen twice in one day,” he said.
He was happy to see that while the Eagles were aggressive at the plate, they weren’t striking out.
The Eagles have two games on the schedule this week – at home against Syracuse Aug. 26 and at St. Paul Thursday, Aug. 28. The team travels to Wilber-Clatonia Tuesday, Sept. 2, and hosts Freeman and Malcolm Thursday, Sept. 4.
