The Milford Eagles will square off against the Springboro Panthers at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Milford 4, Springboro 3.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Milford turned things around against Turpin on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 9-1 margin over the Spartans. Considering the Eagles have won five matchups by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Meghan McClellan made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 14 over six innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lanie McCoy, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Maddie Varner, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Milford kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 3-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Springboro entered their tilt with Fairmont on Wednesday with seven consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with eight. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Firebirds, sneaking past 8-6.
Katie Jonas spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and two unearned) runs on ten hits.
At the plate, Vanessa Hornfeck was excellent, going 2-for-5 with three RBI and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Bella Miller, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Springboro's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-3. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Milford, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Milford has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Springboro struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Milford took their victory against Springboro when the teams last played back in April of 2019 by a conclusive 12-2 score. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
