Miller reaches strikeout milestone in Shanahan win over Henderson
DOWNINGTOWN >> In the early going, it looked like it was going to be another dominant pitching performance from Bishop Shanahan (9-3) ace Devon Miller, who notched 10 of her 12 Ks for the day over the first four innings. And with the Eagles’ bats giving Miller a huge lead, Henderson’s fate seemed sealed. But the Warriors (3-9) had no intention of just fading away with a whimper.
Trailing 12-3 coming into the top half of the seventh, the Warriors batted around, cutting the lead to 12-10 before Miller reached down deep and got a strikeout and a weak comebacker to end the threat and the game.
“I have to admit I probably didn’t come into that inning with the right mindset,” said Miller. “I kind of felt like we had basically already run-ruled them, so I didn’t approach the inning the way I should have, and they took advantage of it. It was definitely an awakening for me.”
The first Henderson hitter of the day, Grace Abbonizo, reached on an error, but Miller then struck out the side. And when Brooke Espenshade struck out in the first, Miller became the first Shanahan pitcher — and just the second Ches-Mont pitcher — to reach 1,000 career strikeouts. Avon Grove’s Maggie Balint was the first for the county, back in 2016.
“It definitely means a lot to me to get to 1,000 strikeouts,” said Miller. “When I was younger I didn’t even think I was going to be good enough to even play varsity, so to become the first girl in Shanahan history, and the second from the league to do it is a pretty amazing feeling.”
Shanahan has seen its share of quality pitchers over the years, with Amanda Glaser back in the early 2000s, and Katie Poppe, whose arm the Eagles rode all the way to a state final back in 2012. So for Miller to be the first to reach 1000 speaks volumes of the accomplishment.
“She is just an incredible player,” said Shanahan coach Ron Savastio. “She works so hard at every part of her game and her knowledge of the game is just unbelievable. I’ve been really lucky to have the kinds of pitchers we’ve had over the years.”
Other than being one of Miller’s strikeout victims earlier in the day, Jordyn Melnick posted a monster game, with two home runs, and six runs batted in, including a grand slam in the 7th.
“Jordyn is just a special player,” said Henderson coach Chris Hessler. “She really takes pride in her hitting, and works hard at it. I know she’s happy with the way she hit today, and I am happy for her.”
Shanahan hit the ball well, up and down the line-up, plating a run in the first, four in the second, three in the fifth, and another four in the sixth. The Eagles banged out ten hits—six for extra bases—and got multi-hit games from Emily Sano (2 for 4, 2B, 2R); Miller (2 for 4, 2 2B, 2R, 2RBI); Hannah Keiper (2 for 2, 2 2B, 2 R, 4RBI), while Emma Calabro chipped in with a triple and two runs scored.
“We all hit the ball really well today,” said Miller. “But we’ve really got to clean up our defense. We’ve all got to start making more plays on defense, including me.”
Once Henderson’s bats came alive with Melnick’s two-run blast in the fourth, the Warrior tagged Miller for nine hits, including six consecutive in the seventh inning. Along with Melnick’s power surge, Megan Schmotzer and Izzy Hunt had doubles, and Emma Adams and Krista Marlin chipped in with RBI singles.
Following up a big win over Coatesville on Monday with a game hanging ten runs on one of the top pitchers in the state, the young Warriors squad is beginning to find itself.
“This is a very young team, with a lot of freshmen in the line-up,” said Hessler. “But every time we take the field, we’re gaining confident. Once we clean-up the kinds of mistakes we made those first couple innings, we’ll be able to compete with anyone.”
