Miller helps JC Brager to victory
Travis Miller wanted to start pitching again for the first time in several years.
He hadn’t pitched since his days with the Lincoln Dominators youth team. Then Miller threw some for the Lincoln Southeast junior-varsity squad this spring, and told JC Brager coach Jeff Stoehr he’d like to do the same this summer for the American Legion seniors team.
Miller looked good Wednesday night at Sherman Field, striking out six in only three innings to help Brager finish off a 5-3 victory against Anderson Ford.
The team consisting of Southeast players scored four runs in the first inning, and kept holding off the team of Lincoln North Star players when it threatened to score in the late innings.
Miller started out with the junior varsity this spring before getting called up to play left field on Southeast’s state tournament team.
This was only his second outing this summer, and in the first one the Southeast senior got roughed up pretty good.
On Wednesday, he hit two batters but also struck out four straight batters.
“I felt really good,” Miller said. “My arm felt awesome. I was locating my slider, and everything was working.”
Montana Jones started for Brager and held in check an Anderson Ford lineup that has been known to smack the ball around.
“We got two good pitching performances,” Stoehr said. “Travis Miller has done an excellent job. He’s been around the plate, and he throws strikes.”
Brager (4-6) had struggled with only one victory in its past seven games but got enough hits to knock off the top team in the city so far this summer.
In the first inning, Brager got hits from three of its first four batters. Josh Scheffert had a double to drive in the first run, and Jaydee Jurgensen brought home the second. With two outs, Nick Dolson had a two-RBI bloop single to give Brager the early 4-0 lead.
“In the past few games we haven’t been scoring until late, and that first inning got a little spring in the guys’ step,” Stoehr said.
Scheffert, Jurgensen and Taylor Darlington had two hits apiece in the win. Scheffert also had a defensive play at third place that may have saved more Anderson Ford runs in the third inning.
Nate Wilder had a two-RBI double that got Anderson Ford going in the third inning. Joe Hartley and Zach Buller had two hits apiece for Anderson Ford (8-3).
Reach Brent C. Wagner at 473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com.
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