Miles Ends Drought, Gains Split with Stillman
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Box Score 2 Miles' rivalry with Stillman was on full display during the schools' three-game series, that culminated with a doubleheader at Shea Brothers Softball Complex. All three contests went down to the final at-bat, with Miles having a chance to tie or win with its final batter in each game. On Wednesday, those circumstances led to a split of the two games, with the Lady Golden Bears winning the opener 6-5 before falling the Lady Tigers 10-7 in the nightcap.
The win in first game broke an eight-game losing streak for Miles (7-22, 7-10 SIAC), who used some seventh-inning heroics to get the win. The Golden Bears struggled against reigning SIAC Pitcher of the Week Mickenzie Sparks but broke through in the fourth on a RBI single by
Jasmine Langston. In the fifth, Miles chased Sparks and added three more runs to take a commanding 4-0 advantage.
Khandi White-Tolbert and
Ashlee Alexander both drove in runs as Miles looked to be in command.
But Stillman (18-15, 14-3) erased the entire lead in the top of the seventh, plating five runs to take the lead. Ahead 4-1 with two outs, Miles could not get the final out. Jessica Mathews' two-run single tied the game and Chelsea Nix gave the Tigers the lead with her RBI single. But Miles came right back in the bottom of the frame.
Madison Westbrook plated a run on a Stillman error to tie the game and a sacrifice fly by
Talana Brown scored Alexander to give the lady Golden Bears the win.
Karla Kennedy gave up nine hits and just two earned runs in the complete-game victory.
The second game got off to an abysmal start for Miles. Hannah Burr hit a two-run homer and Rachel Skelton hit two home runs, the last a grand slam, to stake Stillman to a 9-0 lead going into the bottom of the third inning.
Jamellya Ducker, who had three hits in the nightcap,got the Golden Bears on the board in the fourth inning with a solo home run. But Miles was facing run-rule situtations in both the fifth and sixth innings before plating a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to move the game into the seventh.
The biggest play of the game may have happened to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Brown appeared to have easily beaten out a bunt for a hit but she was called out at first. That did not stop the Golden Bears from igniting a rally. Langston drove in a run with a single and White-Tolbert added her third RBI of the game to bring Miles within three. But with two outts and the bases loaded, Alexander flied out to right to give Stillman the win.
Miles is on the road on Thursday when it travels to take on No. 11 Alabama Huntsville in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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