Miller’s walk-off homer fuels Softball to KWU sweep of Tabor
Trenity Miller's walk-off homer in the bottom of the eighth on the first game fueled the Kansas Wesleyan Softball team to a sweep of the Tabor Bluejays on Wednesday at Salina South High School.
Miller's heroics sent the Coyotes to a 7-6 win in the opener, and the Coyote offense got untracked in the second game for an 11-1 run-rule win over the Bluejays.
The Coyotes had to rally in the opener after Tabor grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first two innings. The Coyotes got on the board in the bottom of the second on Jocelyn Alcala's homer to lead off the inning.
Tabor extended its lead to 4-1 with a homer to lead off the third, but in the bottom of the frame the Coyotes scored twice. Miller singled, but was out on a fielder's choice by Eliza Flores. Alcala followed with a double and Ollievia Lowe delivered with a 2-run single to make it 4-3.
Wesleyan tied it in the fourth with a RBI double by Sydnee Fordham that scored pinch runner Grace Pierce.
Cristabelle Alvarado gave the Coyotes a 5-4 lead in the fifth when she singled to bring in Flores who led off the inning with a double.
The score stayed the same until the seventh with Tabor tied it with a homer.
Wesleyan couldn't score in the bottom of the inning, sending the game to extra innings. Tabor started off extra innings with a double that brought in the tie-breaker runner, but the Bluejays would strand two runners on base in the inning.
Then it was the Coyotes' turn. Hailey Summers sacrificed tie-breaker runner Krista Yackeyonny to third and Yackeyonny scored on Fordham's ground out to tie it.
Up stepped Miller who clubbed a ball to right center that just cleared the fence for the walk-off.
Wesleyan had 16 hits in the game led by three from Miller, Flores and Alcala. Fordham, Josie Buhr and Alvarado had two each. Miranda Fogal got the win in relief for the Coyotes, pitching an inning and two-thirds, allowing an unearned run on two hits, with two strikeouts.
The second game was all Coyotes. KWU scored three times in the first on Alcala's bunt single, Lowe's ground out and Buhr's single to third.
Lowe drove in another run for the Coyotes in the bottom of the third, brining home Flores who singled earlier in the inning.
The Coyotes blew it open in the bottom of the fourth. Pierce led off with a double then scored on Summers' single to lead. Fordham singled, and Miller walked to lead the bases for Flores who brought in a run on a squeeze bunt for a hit and RBI.
Alcala then brought in a run reaching on a fielder's choice that did not result in an out due to a Tabor error.
Lowe then cleared the bases with a triple to right center, and Buhr drove in another run with a double.
Tabor got a run in the top of the fifth, but that was it as the Coyotes claimed the run-rule win.
Flores led the Coyotes with three hits, while Summers, Lowe and Buhr each had two. Lowe drove in five runs.
Jewell Henry got the complete game win, allowing an unearned run on only three hits with one strikeout, but forced Tabor into 12 ground outs in the game, only needing 53 pitches to go the five innings for the win.
The Coyotes look to keep the winning going on Saturday, hosting Southwestern at 1 p.m. at Salina South.