Huskies target Bullettes as Miller sets record

RIVERSIDE - The last time a Highland Huskies softball player had 43 runs batted in during a season, Highland finished the year at the state tournament.

Monday against Mediapolis in a five-inning 11-0 victory, Abbie Miller went 3 for 3 and plated her 45th RBI of the year to break Bailey Walsh's record of 43 set in 2014 when she was a junior.

Walsh batted .394 that season and Miller currently has a .446 average.

'I think we got a pretty good draw this year in our postseason, so we intend to make it to state,” Miller said. 'The record means a lot to me. But I couldn't do it by myself. Especially with the RBI record, I need my teammates. They were good enough to get on base and I got the right pitches to put them in.”

Miller has some other records in her pocket already.

'She has put in a lot of hard work,” Highland head coach Carrie Wieland said.

Miller has tied the season home run record and broken the career home run record at the school.

'My team and I have done a lot of work in the off-season and I think it is really starting to show for us, especially with our hitting,” Miller said.

All nine positions in the batting order got a hit, highlighted by pinch hitter Shalyn Kirk's solo home run to lead off the fourth inning.

Highland (16-8) played a team that has now lost 55 straight games.

'That doesn't mean we're going to win, not necessarily,” Wieland said. 'We had a serious discussion before the game. Then we went out and had a horrible warm-up. There's times that we get a little flat. Some pitches of Megan (Hoenig's) were not her best.”

Hoenig gave up two hits in the first inning, a leadoff hit in the second, then retired the Bullettes in order in the remaining innings, finishing with seven strikeouts and no walks.

'This team is different from other teams I've had,” Wieland said. 'They have to have to have fun. Sometimes we get a little carried away on the fun. I have to reel them back in when that happens. We are finding a happy medium. We seem to play better if we just stay lighthearted and everybody does does their job. I have had to change my approach because I am used to being really hard. I was hard when we won the title (in 2007).”

Highland hosts a 16-12 Sigourney team today that was ranked earlier in Class 1A.

The Huskies 2A postseason starts with a home game against Van Buren (14-10). A win would possibly pit them against Wilton (17-16) with a win there advancing to a possible Region 8 title game with No. 8 Iowa City Regina.

'We've scouted some teams and I have a lot of friends out there who keep me informed,” Wieland said.