Softball Season Ends With Heartbreaking Tourney Loss To Lakota West

Posted on: May 13, 2019

Milford struck first, but Lakota West found an answer with a three-run fifth inning as the Firebirds ended the Eagles’ OHSAA Tournament dreams with a 3-2 victory. The defeat ends another successful season for the Milford Softball program that featured 19 victories, a second place finish in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference and a seventh straight trip to at least the OHSAA District semifinals.

Even against a strong wind, sophomore Emily Allphin put the Eagles on the board in the first, muscling her fifth home run out the park with a runner aboard. Milford would have other chances against West hurler KK Mathis, but would ultimately leave seven runners on base.

In the circle, Milford lefty Sam Boothby was keeping West on its heels, yielding just three singles through the first four frames. But the Firebirds finally broke through in its half of the fifth, piecing together five singles and its only three runs of the game.

Milford got the tying run to third with just one out in the fifth and bunted into a double play an inning later that killed another scoring chance. Down to its final two outs in the seventh, Olivia Craycraft singled against Mathis, but the West freshman got consecutive pop ups to end the game.

RECORDS & PITCHING DECISIONS

Milford: 19-7; Lakota West: 20-7

WP: KK Hastings; LP: Sam Boothby

KEY PLAYERS

Milford

Olivia Craycraft 3-4, 2B

Emily Allphin HR, 2 RBI

Sam Boothby 2-2

Brooklyn Stewart 2B

Lakota West

Belle Hummel 2-3

JoJo Peregrina 2-3