Cardinals knock off Eugene to Claim third place in Class 2 baseball playoffs

The Class 2, seventh ranked Miller High School baseball team finished in third place in this years Class 2 state playoffs, after defeating Eugene 11-2 on Tuesday, June 2 in Ozark.

The Cardinals got on the board first when Paul Nunez drove in Jase Wilkinson on a single to right field. A few moments later, Eli Woods worked a base loaded walk to bring in Kegan Krempges and give Miller a 2-0 early lead.

After the Eagles cut the score in half in the top of the second inning, Nunez walked with the bases loaded to score Hayden Brown and then Nathaniel Cunnigham walked to bring in Owen Weiss and make it 4-1.

Eugene scored a run in the top of the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 4-2 but the Cardinals answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Nunez singled to left to drive in Brayden Williams, Samuel Ferguson laid down a beautiful bunt to bring in Nunez, and Brown ended the scoring with a two-run single to left to drive in both Cunnigham and Ferguson to increase their lead to 8-2.

Miller added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Nunez singled to right to plate Weiss and Williams and then scored on a triple by Cunningham.

Nunez was 3-3 with two runs scored and five RBIs, Cunningham went 1-2 with a triple, a run scored and two RBIs and Brown finished the game 2-3 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs. Hayden Schnake got the win, going six and two thirds of an inning, allowing two earned runs on five hits with six walks and six strikeouts.

Miller played in the Class 2 semifinals against Class 2, fourth ranked Faith Christian Academy on Monday, June 1, in Ozark but lost to the Knights 6-0.

Faith Christian Academy scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and single runs in the bottom of the third and fifth innings to win the game.

Schnake was 2-3, Woods and Brown both went 1-2 in the game.

Miller finishes their season with a 20-9 record.