By Chuck Reherman
Sports Editor
Sealing their spot.
Yukon went into their final District 6A-2 game knowing a win or even a loss by less than five runs would nail down third place in the race.
The Millerettes chose the first.
Makenna Johnson’s solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and led YHS to a 3-1 win over Norman on Senior Night at the Millerette Softball Complex.
YHS, 21-8, finished with a 10-4 district record to place third and will head to Edmond Deer Creek for the regional tournament next week.
YHS, who had beaten Norman 6-2 earlier in the year, did have a tougher time Monday night. But, the Millerettes used a solid pitching performance from Kaylee Bradley and
“It was a little tighter than we wanted it to be,” Millerette head coach Katy Hoke said. “We had runners in scoring position in ever inning, we just couldn’t get them across the plate. It did get a little scary late when they got runners in scoring position, but we stepped up and made plays to win the game.
“I thought Kaylee threw a great game, she pitched really well,” she said. “Ashlyn (Bruce) called well behind the plate and thank goodness for Makenna’s home run. For the most part, lead-off did a good job getting on, we just couldn’t move them. We just need to work on making that adjustment at the plate.”
Johnson, leading off the sixth inning, drove a 2-1 pitch over the centerfield wall to break the 1-1 tie. Kaylee Witte singled and with two out Jordan Schlarb reached on an error that scored the run.
Norman did have runners in scoring position in the seventh, but Bradley got the final out on a ground ball.
A.J. Rayburn’s RBI double spotted the Millerettes to 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Norman, who was held in check by Bradley, scored on a Krystal Lyon’s RBI single in the fifth.
“We made it, that’s about all I can say,” Hoke said. “We knew Norman would have to beat us by five and that did affect my decision late in the game, it needed to be about people over the ball game.”
