Miller softball wins annual Ash Grove tourney with high-powered offense

Lady Cardinals score 49 runs in only three games as bats come to life during mid-season action

The Miller High School softball team continues their early season dominance picking up four more wins last week.
The Lady Cardinals traveled to Ash Grove on Saturday, April 12, to take part in the Ash Grove Classic and came home with a championship win, knocking off Ash Grove in the championship game, 17-6.
Miller led 2-0 after the first inning and 7-0 by the end of the third inning. Miller walked off the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the game 17-6.
Rachel Nunez was 3-3 with five runs scored, two home runs and four RBI’s, Kaylee Thom went 2-4 with four RBI’s, Camden Stockton was 2-4 with a run scored and two RBI’s, Loghann Leivan went 2-4 with two runs scored and two RBI’s and Kendall Neely finished the game 3-4 with a run scored and two RBI’s.
Miller defeated Greenfield in game one of the day, 15-0. Neely was 1-1 with a run scored and three RBI’s, Nunez went 1-3 with a run scored, a double and two RBI’s, and Thom was 1-3, with three runs scored and two RBI’s.        
In the second game of the day, Miller knocked off Exeter, 17-2. Nunez was 2-3 with two runs scored, two doubles and four RBI’s, Leivan went 3-4 with three runs scored, two doubles, a home run and two RBI’s, Ashlynn Helton was 3-4 with three runs scored, a double and two RBI’s, Stockton went 2-3 with a run scored and two RBI’s, and Chloe Hendricks finished the game 2-4 with two runs scored, a double and an RBI.
“I’m really proud of how the girls played on this long day,” said head coach Kurtlin Hulette. “Defensively, we were solid across both the infield and outfield during all three games. Overall, at the plate, we swung well from the first inning of the first game all the way to the last inning of the championship game. All throughout the lineup, we were peppering the ball and finding ways to get on base. I have nothing but praise and good things to say about this group of girls, and how they played this weekend.”
Miller traveled to Pierce City on Thursday, April 10, and came home with an 8-6 loss. Nunez had a triple in the game and three RBI’s, Hendricks had an RBI and Tori Hollister pitched six innings, allowed eight runs, seven earned with two walks and seven strikeouts.
On Tuesday, April 8, the Lady Cardinals hosted Skyline but lost in a close game, 3-1. Stockton was 2-3 and Leivan went 1-2 with an RBI. Hollister got the start, going seven innings, allowing three runs on 11 hits with one strikeout.
Miller opened the week by traveling to New Heights Christian Academy on Monday, April 7, and came home with a 17-0 win.
The Lady Cardinals scored two runs in the first inning, three runs in the second inning and 12 runs in the third and final inning. Riley Prier had three hits and four RBI’s, Hendricks had two hits and Hollister had three hits in the game. Hollister was also the starting pitcher, allowing no runs and one hit over three innings with four strikeouts.
Miller is now 12-3 on the season and were scheduled to host Diamond last night before traveling to Ash Grove tomorrow night.