The Milford softball team had a busy week with six games on the schedule. The Eagles suffered their first loss of the season and finished 4-2 and second at the Fairbury Invitational.
“I felt like we did a great job with the adversity thrown at us,” Coach Shelly Mowinkel said.
After a week without games because of heat cancellations and postponements, the Eagles were back on the diamond Aug. 29 at Wilber-Clatonia. MHS defeated the Wolverines 13-0 in three innings.
“We needed to take care of our side of the ball,” Mowinkel said. “We did just that.”
She said the team started out slowly but got back into the groove in the second inning.
Addi Mowinkel hit the team’s first home run of the season, a three-run shot in the third inning.
Ayla Roth had two hits for the Eagles. In addition to Mowinkel’s’ three RBIs, Roth and Maeli Kubicek drove in two runs each.
Milford was at Freeman Aug. 31 for a triangular with Malcolm and went 1-1.
Freeman got the win 7-1 in the first game. Milford had just three hits in the game, while Freeman pounded 10.
“We couldn’t get anything going,” Coach Mowinkel said. “We left too many on base.”
The loss was extra costly because MHS catcher Ava Maple reinjured her elbow. Freshman Emily Kenning, who had just been cleared to rejoin the team, stepped in behind the plate and did a good job, the coach said.
She thought the team responded well in the game against Malcolm, which ended with a 5-1 Milford win.
Maeli Kubicek was 3-3 for Milford, and Roth and Addi Mowinkel added two hits each. Kubicek also got the win in the circle, striking out six in six innings.
The Eagles were at Fairbury for a tournament Sept. 2 and went 2-1, falling in the championship game to Elkhorn North 15-2.
Coach Mowinkel said she told her team the theme for the day was “chase joy and max out our effort.”
Milford opened the day with a 7-3 win over Fillmore Central/Exeter-Milligan/Friend.
The Eagles were more patient in the batters’ box, she said. The team had to move players around to fill some gaps, so some were in positions they hadn’t played before.
Sadie Frazier and Roth (outfield), Addi Mowinkel (shortstop) and Delaney Carraher (pitcher) were the only players in their regular positions, Coach Mowinkel said.
Maeli Kubicek hit a grand slam in the fourth inning to put the Eagles ahead and finished the game 2-3 with the four RBIs.
Roth, Kubicek and Hannah Wittstruck had two hits each.
Malcolm was Milford’s semifinals opponent, and the Eagles won 4-2.
“I felt we played well, but we didn’t string hits together,” Coach Mowinkel said.
Milford had just three hits in the game to Malcolm’s six, but the Eagles did enough to win, the coach said.
The championship game against Elkhorn North was a tough one for Milford. The Eagles had just two hits, singles by Macy Stutzman and Kubicek.
“The girls did everything right,” Coach Mowinkel said. “Elkhorn North was able to hit the gaps.”
The Eagles (8-2) were to host York Sept. 5 and host Fairbury Thursday, Sept. 7, at 6:30 p.m. The team is at West Point-Beemer Saturday, Sept. 9, for the Cuming County Softball Tournament starting at 10 a.m.
“We will see how the team responds,” Coach Mowinkel said.
She said the older players have stepped in to help the younger athletes find their groove.
