Lady Tigers drop FAC, season opener at Miami Trace

EBER — The McClain Lady Tigers saved their best for the top of the fifth inning, but the young squad was just a little late in their breakout inning, falling to the host Miami Trace Lady Panthers, 13-3 in five innings at Miami Trace High School. 

The game was the 2026 season opener and Frontier Athletic Conference opener for McClain, and it was the second game of the season for the Lady Panthers. 

Miami Trace jumped out to a big lead of 6-0 with a six-run bottom of the first inning, then they followed up with a three-run second inning for a 9-0 lead over MHS. Then came one run in the bottom of the third for MTHS, and another three runs crossed home plate in the fourth for Miami Trace. 

McClain came back with a three-run inning of their own in the top of the fifth. MHS finished the game with six hits and seven errors, while Miami Trace totaled seven hits and they had one error.

Six McClain players had one hit apiece with Kambriah Tomlin finishing 1-for-2 with one run and was hit by a pitch. Brie Cummins was 1-for-3 (a double) with a run scored. Olivia Stegbauer finished 1-for-3 (a triple) with a run and two RBI. 

Leah Lovett was 1-for-2 with one RBI and one walk. Amaya Ryan was 1-for-3, and Kyndee Williamns went 1-for-3. 

The top of the fifth for McClain started with two outs recorded, but the inning and game continued with a two-out single by Tomlin with a ball hit to second base, followed by Cummins reaching via an error in left field. 

Stegbauer followed with a triple to centerfield on a 1-2 count, then came a base hit by Lovett with a ball also hit to centerfield. Ryan reached first base on a ball hit past the shortstop, but the game ended in the ensuing at-bat with a strikeout. 

"The weather has put us behind a little bit. We were supposed to have had three scrimmages and we ended up with one. This is our first game of the season, and we haven't been able to get outside and practice. We've been stuck inside a lot, and I know everybody's story is the same, but they'll be all right," MHS head coach Molly Stegbauer said. "It was first game jitters, and the girls are a lot better than that, so I'm not worried about it. 

"We waited a little too long to get the bats going, too many errors. Errors don't win ball games. We'll get those things figured out, and hopefully we'll come back stronger tomorrow and things will look a little different. The girls work hard and are pretty good about lifting each other up, so we have a good group of juniors and seniors, and that's the culture they are trying to build."

Williams was charged with the loss as just four runs were earned in four innings in the circle. She finished the contest with four strikeouts. 

Kaylee Everhart of Miami Trace was the winning pitcher and in five innings had nine strikeouts with no earned runs. 

MHS (0-1) will have a rematch in FAC play against the Miami Trace Lady Panthers (1-1) in their next game on Thursday, March 26 at Daryle Unger Field at Mitchell Park in Greenfield. 

BOX SCORE
MHS      000 03x x — 3 6 7 
MTHS    631 3xx x — 13 7 1