(Audubon, IA) — Exira-EHK-Audubon softball is looking as dangerous as ever with a quick and unrelenting mercy rule victory over East Mills in the regional quarterfinals, shutting out the Wolverines 12-0 in just three-and-a-half innings.
East Mills started on the right foot with leadoff hitter Isabella Blanton walking off Spartan-Wheelers ace Riley Miller. However, she was caught stealing in the midst of Katie Ripperger’s at bat as Miller struck out the rest of the side. Exira-EHK-Audubon immediately got to scoring with Taryn Peterson walking, reaching third on a steal and a wild pitch, and crossing the plate on a sacrifice grounder to second base from the number two hitter Anna Larsen. Miller would then walk and score off an RBI-double to left center field from cleanup hitter Bryli Peterson. Lauren Brown would begin to struggle finding the zone, as she would go on to hit Abby Wanser, walk Zoey Rasmussen, then allow three hits in a row from the Nelsons and Peterson as the order flipped, all three of which ended up scoring. Two more hits later, Bryli Peterson would get tagged out at third to end the inning, with the Spartan-Wheelers putting up 10 runs in the first inning.
Riley Miller would then find an almost unhittable groove in the circle, striking out five batters in a row on top of the two she struck out in the first. Exira-EHK-Audubon would score two runs in the second and third with Lucy Stanerson and Larsen crossing the plate. in the top of the fourth, Isabella Blanton would go down on strikes to start off the inning, then Ripperger would drop a single into shallow centerfield for the Wolverines’ sole hit of the game. Miller didn’t skip a beat, striking out Riley Vasquez and Caitlyn Crouse for her ninth and tenth strikeout, ending the game via mercy rule. Miller says her pitches were working well right out of the gate:
Exira-EHK-Audubon will host Bedford in the regional semi-finals Friday.
