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Meierer adds career strikeouts record to her list of marks as Nixa takes tourney title

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The roar from Nixa's crowd and the tears from Maddy Meierer's mother gave away that a Meierer strikeout at the Springfield Tournament over the weekend wasn't just another whiff.

Meierer set a new Nixa career strikeouts record while leading the Lady Eagles to five wins and the tournament championship.

Meierer's strikeouts total is up to 553 entering the final week of regular-season play of her senior year. Nixa's former record was 534 by 2009 grad Aaron Becker.

Earlier this season, Meierer broke the program's record for career wins. She now has 57 victories over four seasons since transferring to Nixa from Glendale at the start of her freshman year. 

"It means so much to me. Those records hadn't been broken in a long time," Meierer said. "I'm excited that I can do this for Nixa softball and have my name in the books."

Meierer's speed and assortment of breaking pitches have allowed to collect multiple strikeouts in multiple games.

"You have to work with the batter's mind," she said. "You can't throw over the plate. You have to make them chase or if you do throw it over the plate you have to make it drop, rise or screw or curve."

Nixa coach Matt Walker reported the previous record for wins had stood since the 1990s. He said Meierer's standards could stand the test of time for a long while, as well.

"Maddy got the luxury of getting to throw as a freshman and she has continued to pile on and pile on," Walker said.

Meierer W-L record is 14-4 and her strikeouts total is 136 this season, after she fanned 10 in Nixa's 10-1 rout of Lee's Summit North in the tournament title tilt.

The Lady Eagles' offense in the final included a double and home run from Harper-Jane Simpson, two hits and four RBIs from Lauren Loney, three hits from Chloe Krans and two hits apiece from Paige Garetson and Phoebe Gardner.

The Lady Eagles went nine innings for a 14-13 semifinal triumph against Republic. Simpson delivered a game-winning, two-run single. Gardner was 4-for-5 and Sara Sweaney and Jalyn Mabe both had three hits.

Gardner and Sweaney were both 12-for-19 in Nixa's five games during the tourney.

The Lady Eagles (22-6) have won eight straight.


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