It was a wire-to-wire win Thursday for the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk softball team as they took care of the Tipton Tigers 14-4 in five innings. The night was dedicated to the Jared Miller Family, with a benefit arranged by the Mid-Prairie community to help raise money for medical and other expenses for the family during his battle with cancer. The Golden Hawks wore special blue and white uniforms for the occasion.

The Golden Hawks came out with that extra motivation and took the fight to the Tigers, scoring five in the first on seven hits, sending 10 to the plate, with Dakota Mitchell, Gabi Robertson, Brenna Jehle, Claire Trimpe and Tessa Bombei coming home on RBI hits from Jehle, Kadence Grout, Morgyn Bender, Brylee Gearhart and Kyla Karnes. In the second the Hawks added another when Bombei doubled in Trimpe. Tipton got within 6-4 with a four spot in the third, but the Golden Hawks answered with two unearned runs in the bottom half, when Olivia Swartzentruber and Mitchell came around to go up 8-4, and then finalized it with six in the bottom of the fourth.

In a moment that was surely written for the Hollywood silver screen, the Golden Hawks led 11-4 after Bombei, Gearhart and Karnes had come around to score, when Sophie Miller, a member of the family of honor for the night strode to the plate with two aboard. Down two strikes, Miller mashed a mammoth homer to deep left and Carr, Vincent, Gould Field was up for grabs, with fans giving a standing ovation and her teammates waiting to celebrate with her at home plate. Miller talked with KCII Sports after the game about the home run, the win and the outpouring of community support for her Dad and her family.

Miller said, “I was just thinking about being on time. Letting the ball travel to me and not going out to get it with my hands. I was really nervous because I fouled off two that were really high. I really like the high ones. I saw it, and I hit it. It felt like I smoked it. It felt good. It felt like I was doing it for my Dad! It just felt really special! It felt really sweet. My teammates all knew how much it meant to me. I started crying. They all wrapped their arms around me and it was really cool. It made me tear up seeing everyone come out tonight to support my Dad.”

The win was official after Mid-Prairie turned away the Tigers in the top of the fifth. The Hawks out hit Tipton 18-7. All nine of the Mid-Prairie starters had at least one hit, eight of the nine scored a run and eight of the nine had an RBI. Miller led the way with a pair of hits and three RBI including her home run. Grout and Karnes each knocked in a pair. Grout and Mitchell each had three hits. Mitchell scored three times and Robertson, Trimpe, and Bombei each came around twice. Grout was the winning pitcher, working five innings, giving up seven hits, four runs and striking out five. Mid-Prairie is now 4-5 on the season.

If you would like to help out the Miller Family, you can visit the Jared Miller Family Benefit Page on Facebook and attend their event tonight, Friday, June 7th from 4-9p.m. at the Richmond Parish Life Center which includes a meal, silent and live auctions, and raffle. For more information call 319-530-2710 or email jaredmillerfamilybenefit@gmail.com.