MILTON — Host No. 4 Milton on Friday edged No. 5 Middlebury Union High School, 3-1, in a Division II softball quarterfinal.
The loss to the 11-6 Yellowjackets snapped the Tigers’ five-game winning streak, one that moved them up in the D-II standings and allowed them to host and win a first-round playoff game. It was also the 9-7 Tigers’ fifth loss by three runs or fewer this spring, including three extra-inning setbacks. One of those came earlier at Milton, 9-8, in eight innings.
This time, Milton hurler Katie Rayner tossed a one-hitter, fanning 12. She walked nine, however, and twice worked out of bases-loaded jams.
Milton scored all of its runs off losing pitcher Payton Buxton in the third, using a Rayner RBI double and a Marissa Bleakley RBI single to spark the rally.
Buxton went the distance, striking out five. She had thrown three shutouts and allowed just two runs during the Tigers’ five-game streak. Buxton also had the only MUHS hit on Friday.