Patriots come up short in season opener against Eagles (2024)

YUTAN — Some of the greatest lessons in sports are learned through some of the most difficult losses. The Yutan-Mead Softball Team hopes to grow from their 8-7 season-opening defeat at the hands of Milford on Aug. 22 at home.

The Patriots who led most of the game committed seven errors and gave up two runs in the seventh that cost them the victory against the Eagles.

“We competed really hard for the first four innings,” Yutan-Mead Head Coach Brooke Campbell said. “We did a lot of good things, a lot of things we’ve been working on in practice, and I think we got comfortable. Things kind of started falling apart, and we didn’t finish. I just really want them to take away the good things that we did and learn from the mistakes.”

To start the game, Milford’s bats were hot with four singles. Errors by Beth Brennan and Addi Smith drove in the first two runs of the game for the Eagles.

Out of the leadoff spot in the bottom of the first, Adie Gale singled to center. After a sacrifice bunt from Leah Thompson, Gale moved up to third base with one out.

Delaney Shield hit a sacrifice fly to center in the next at-bat, which scored Gale and pulled Yutan-Mead within one of Milford at 2-1.

With two outs in the bottom of the second, Smith came up with a triple to center field. Next up was Jersey Siske, who put the ball in play to third. An error on the hit scored Smith and tied the game up at two apiece.

Milford threatened to score in the top of the third with back-to-back singles to start the inning. The Patriots got out of the jam with a great double play orchestrated by third baseman Jancye Long and catcher Jenna Trent.

Yutan-Mead kept the momentum going in their direction with a single from Trent to left field that scored Shield and gave the Patriots the lead. Addi Jones extended that advantage to 5-2 for Yutan-Mead with a two-run homer to deep center.

After a quick top of the fourth, the Patriots got singles from Long and Gale to left field with one out. Leah Thompson was the next batter, and she singled to right field, knocking in Long and making it a four-run contest.

A sac fly from Trent to right field allowed Gale to tag up and score and gave Yutan-Mead a comfortable 7-2 edge.

“Their effort at the plate was fantastic,” Campbell said. “It’s awesome to know we can go top to bottom and have everybody put the bat on the ball.”

The Eagles, who had lost all momentum, finally got some life in the top of the fifth with two baserunners who reached on an error and a walk. A single and another miscue committed by the Patriots scored two runs for Milford and made it a 7-4 game.

A pair of fielder’s choices scored two more runs for the Eagles and got them back within one entering the back half of the contest.

Milford had another prime opportunity to score in the top of the sixth with two runners on. Great defense once again got Yutan-Mead out of trouble and kept their one-run lead intact.

“I think we had seven outs on the base paths,” Campbell said. “We talked a lot about how important it is to throw and catch the ball. We’ve spent a lot of time in the last week and a half talking about the importance of being able to do those things. Their game awareness and their situational awareness was great.”

The Patriots had Shield and Trent, who came up with singles in the bottom of the sixth. Neither runner was able to come around to score after a groundout by Brennan ended the inning.

To start the top of the seventh, Smith made a great catch in right field for the first out. Following that Yutan-Mead started to struggle with three straight Eagle batters reaching base.

A hit-by-pitch and a single scored two runs for Milford and helped them take their first lead since the second inning.

Down to their final three outs, the Patriots need a run to tie and two to win the game in the bottom of the seventh. A comeback wasn’t in the cards for Yutan-Mead with a pair of strikeouts and a flyout ending the contest.

Both getting two hits and driving in two runs for the Patriots were Jones and Trent. Thompson and each had at least one hit and one RBI.

Going six innings as the starting pitcher with five earned runs given up and two strikeouts was Shield. Siske came on for one inning in relief, gave up no earned runs, and set down two batters on strikes.

On Aug. 26, Yutan-Mead traveled to play Twin River. They took on North Bend and Raymond Central in a triangular on Aug. 27.

To close out the week they play Logan View/Scribner-Snyder and Plattsmouth at home at 6:30 p.m. and 9 a.m. on Aug. 29 and 31.