Photo by Keith Stewart
Mycaela Miller makes contact during last Friday’s 9-3 win over Decatur LSA. Miller went 3-4 on the day including two doubles, a triple, and three RBIs.

Miller goes 3-4, batting in three 

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

After a 5-4 loss to Tuscola and a surprising 7-2 loss at Argenta, Arthur head softball coach Matt Darling knew there needed to be a switch in the lineup. So before Friday’s game against LSA, Arthur brought freshman Mycaela Miller up to lead off from fifth, junior Brooke Tabb went from leadoff to second, and freshman Logan Kauffman dropped from second to eighth in the order.

The change worked.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.

With a 2-1 count, Miller roped a triple to center and was brought in with a sac fly from Katie Wildman for the game’s first score. That would be the only score of the first inning, and Wildman would shut the Lions down again in their half of the second, and Miller would strike again in the bottom of the second.

After a groundout, Tiffany Renfro and Kauffman walked, and Brianna Morgan’s bunt single loaded the bases, setting up Miller with bases loaded.

“Mycaela looked good up at the plate today,” Darling said. “She did what we knew she could do. The other day we were playing in Argenta, and the wind was blowing in, and she hit four foul balls over the wall, so we know the kind of stroke she has. She really came through getting on base, and that sparked the rest of our lineup.”

Miller lined a ball down the left field line that would become a ground-rule double, bringing in Renfro and Kauffman, but those would be the only two runs in the inning as Tabb struck out, and Morgan was caught stealing home.

The Lancers added three in the third and two in the fourth—a third inning Renfro double brought two in, Kauffman brought home the last of the third and Sherelle Coller’s fourth inning double brought in Wildman and Alex Miller sent Coller home—and it looked as if Arthur was on the way to a mercy-rule win.

Not so fast.

Through four, Wildman had five strikeouts and no walks, but in the fifth her first walk scored when LSA managed their second hit of the day, and in the sixth two more Wildman walks scored off passed balls. Miller substituted for Emily Harlin behind the dish as Harlin was sick according to Darling—but the Lancers pulled through and earned the 9-3 win.

“Katie was having problems with the temperature and gripping the ball,” Darling stated. “She adjusted and finished well for us. If she can do that every game, we will be good. We let her down the first two games with our defense, and I am glad that didn’t happen again tonight.”

The Lancers have a busy week with games against Shiloh Wednesday, Thursday at Oakwood, and Friday in Arthur against Arcola.

“I don’t know much about Shiloh or Oakwood,” admitted Darling. “I know Arcola will be good though with Taylor Edwards pitching, and even though they have gotten beat bad early this year it was to some really high-quality teams. We will have to come ready, as always, if we want to win, especially with two of those games being conference games.”

Stats: M. Miller: 3-4, 2 2B, 3B, 3 RBI; K. Wildman: 1-4, 1B, 1 RBI; S. Coller: 1-4, 2B, 1 RBI; A. Miller: 2-4, 2 1B, 1 RBI; S. Landers: 1-3, 1B; T. Renfro: 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI; B. Morgan: 1-3, 1B; L. Kauffman: 1-3, 1B, BB, 1 RBI