The beautiful thing about the game of softball is it doesn't always have to be offensively packed, it doesn't have to be measured by who can hit the most home runs and who can get the most big hits. Sometimes, it can be a very simple game of pitch and catch and with some extraordinary defensive plays coming in handy. That second brand of ball is exactly what we saw in the doubleheader between Valley Heights and the District 380 team.
In game 1, Paige Miller was in the circle for the Lady Mustangs opposed by Tessa Parthemer. Valley Heights would get on the board first after a Maggie Toerber one out walk, Toerber was able to come across on a single to center to go up 1-0 after a half inning.
In the bottom of the 2nd, Miller would strikeout a pair and sit down the opposition 1-2-3. From there, both pitchers would settle in a bit in the 2nd and 3rd, a double by Oen Deters and a single by Parthemer couldn't get anything going for their team and Valley Heights were held in check as well.
The 4th inning is where things really started to click for the offenses, Valley Heights' Delana Murk walked with one out, she would come around to score on a passed ball. Add in a run from Tessa Bigham on a fielder's choice and we went to the bottom of 4th at 3-0 Heights.
Centralia/Frankfort would answer back in the bottom of the inning, Kramer reached on an error to start the inning. Kramer attempted to steal 2nd and after an overthrow would be standing on 3rd with nobody out. Kramer would come across on a Malayna Becker fielder's choice to narrow the gap to 2.
Valley Heights would seal it though, in the 5th. Singles from Toerber and Miller combined with another fielding error gave the Lady Mustangs their 4th and 5th runs. All the while, Miller was throwing a gem for Valley Heights. Paige finished with a dozen strikeouts Including striking out the side in the bottom of the 7th in a 6-2 win.
In Game 2, Valley Heights pounced early, after a leadoff walk to Lindsay Gray, Maggie Toerber tripled to make it 1-0 after a half inning. Again, Miller went to work again shutting down the side on just 7 pitches.
The Valley Heights hitters were very selective in the 2nd inning earning two walks and after applying some smart base running Tessa Bigham was able to steal home plate on a passed ball to make it 2-0.
The lead would be cut in half after a Hayden Kramer single, with a pair of steals. Unfortunately, that was as close as Centralia/Frankfort would get in this one as Valley Heights would get a pair of RBI doubles, one from Tessa Miller, the other from Krista Porter and before you could blink the Lady Mustangs led 5-1.
Credit Centralia's Morgan Allen for her effort in the middle part of this game however. Even facing a big deficit she was able to post zeroes in three straight innings and striking out 7 total Mustangs. But in the end it was Valley Heights coming out victorious winning 7-3, sweeping the doubleheader. Paige Miller earned her 2nd win of the day, going the full 7 and striking out 11.
Valley Heights picked up their 8th and 9th wins of the season. Next up for the Lady Mustangs will be Doniphan West. Centralia/Frankfort fell to 7-7 with the Onaga girls waiting in the wings.
