By Chuck Reherman
Sports Editor
Yukon makes it’s return trip to the class 6A State Softball Tournament today and the Millerettes have their eye on a state finals berth.
YHS, 22-8, will face Broken Arrow, 32-5, in the opening round of the tournament at 6:30 p.m. at the Ballfields at Firelake in Shawnee.
YHS is joined in the state tournament by Edmond North, Edmond Deer Creek, Owasso, Sand Springs Westmoore and Stillwater. Edmond North and Sand Springs are on the same side of the bracket with the Millerettes and play at 4 p.m.
Deer Creek and Stillwater open the tournament at 11 a.m. and Westmoore and Owasso play at 1:30 p.m.
YHS and Broken Arrow have met twice in the season (both times in August) and have split those meetings. The Millerettes beat the Lady Tigers 3-2 in the Broken Arrow Tournament, then lost 11-1 in the Southmoore Festival.
“I think it’s a good draw,” Millerette coach Katy Hoke said. “I’m excited about what the girls can do. I hope they can go in with confidence.
“We have to take the intensity, passion and joy that they had at regionals into the this game to be successful,” she added. “If they play like that, they can beat anyone.”
The Millerettes advanced to the state tournament winning the Region IV Tournament with a 5-3 win over Mustang. YHS beat Mustang twice and went 3-0 in the regionals.
Broken Arrow beat Bixby to reach the state tournament. The Lady Tigers have won 20 of their last 22 games.
Hoke likes the team’s chances in the opening round. The Millerettes went into last year’s state tournament as the top seed and lost in the opening round.
“We have improved everywhere, but that last game we also had some people playing out of position,” Hoke said. “We have had some time to work on things and we will be ready to play when we step on the field.”
