The Milford softball team closed its regular season with six games in five days.
The Southern Nebraska Conference moved from Sept. 26 to Sept. 28 because of rain, and the Eagles went 1-1 in the modified bracket, beating Fillmore Central 12-2 and losing to Blue River 9-0. On Sept. 29, the Eagles were at Fillmore Central and lost 18-16. The team hosted Blue River Oct. 1 and fell short 12-0, then played at the rescheduled David City Invite Oct. 2 and lost to Polk County/Aquinas 13-2 and to Palmyra 10-0.
Coach Chad Carraher said Milford played well in the win over Fillmore Central. MHS committed just two errors, which he was happy to see, and outhit the Panthers 7-2. Shayla Soper was 2-4 with a double, and Hadley McChllough was 2-3 and drove in four runs.
The Eagles got the offense going in the second inning, scoring eight runs in the frame. With two on, McCullough drove in two with a single, and three of the next four batters hit doubles, Carraher said.
Game two pitted the Eagles against Blue River, which had a bye in the opening round.
“They were waiting for us,” Carraher said. “We’ve only beaten Abby Lindsley (the BR pitcher) once in four years.”
Lindsley had Milford’s number again, allowing just one hit which came late in the game.
“She didn’t look different. She just went after us,” Carraher said.
Milford’s hit was a single by Sadie Frazier. Kyla Troyer struck out four in two innings.
At Fillmore Central Sept. 29, the teams combined for 26 hits.
“This game was nothing like the first,” Carraher said. “It was crazy.”
The score was 14-7 after three innings, and Milford added nine runs in the fourth and fifth.
The Eagles hit three home runs –two no-doubters by Addi DeLong and Rylee Schoen and a high fly ball that carried over the fence by Troyer. It was Troyer’s first career home run, Carraher said.
The Eagles had potential runs on base in the seventh, but a runner was called out for leaving early and that quashed the rally.
The Panthers were able to walk-off the Eagles with a two-out single.
DeLong, Frazier, Schoen, McCullough and Troyer had two hits each. Troyer drove in six runs, and DeLong and Schoen drove in three each.
Troyer pitched the complete game and struck out four.
Blue River came to Milford Oct. 1 and pitched Lindsley again. Once again, the Eagles struggled to hit her, striking out seven times. Frazier had the team’s only hit again.
Troyer and Schoen combined in the circle and finished with five strikeouts.
At the DC Invite, the Eagles played another tough team, Polk County/Aquinas, to open the day at the Sandhills Global Youth Complex. Carraher said the team had to make adjustments on turf.
PCA scored nine runs in the first inning and Milford couldn’t dig out of the hole. MHS scored two in the third, but PCA won 13-2 in four innings.
“They are a solid team,” Carraher said.
He thought the game against Palmyra would be good competition, but PHS scored at least one in every inning and kept the Eagles off the scoreboard.
Schoen was 2-2 with a double, but the Eagles couldn’t string hits together, Carraher said.
Milford played in its subdistrict tournament Oct. 5 at Fort Calhoun. The Eagles were the No. 4 seed and lost to Fort Calhoun 11-0 to start the tournament.
Fort Calhoun’s pitching allowed no Milford hits or walks in the four innings.
MHS finished the season with a 3-23 record.
