Miller’s 11 strikeouts move Northwoods to 3-0

Pitcher Jonathan Miller led the Northwoods Legion baseball team (19u) to a 5-3 victory over Ironwood last night with an 11-strikeout performance in Eagle River, which put them at 3-0 on the season. 

The 2025 Northland Pines graduate pitched six scoreless innings and kept the visitors off the basepads for most of the night, while throwing an efficient 79 pitches. 

“They somewhat struggled with catching up to the fastball, especially on the inside,” Miller explained after the game. “I tried to pound it up and in there and that worked.” 

Northwoods went ahead 4-0 at one point after four innings, and led 5-0 after six. 

Landon Hoeft, the No. 5 hitter in the lineup, walked to open the bottom of the second and stole second to get into scoring position. Three batters later, Ethan Miller grabbed a two-out RBI to get the first run on the board.

Northwoods threatened again in the fourth to give its pitcher more run support. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Miller (Ethan) got his second and third RBI of the night with a two-RBI single and was caught trying to extend it into a double. Griffen Beyer drove in the third run of the inning with a single to make it a 4-0 game. Alex Wethington would later score on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the sixth to extend that lead to five.   

Miller continued his dominance in the fifth and sixth innings to close his evening. He allowed three baserunners all game before Jonah Will came in for relief in the seventh.

Miller will continue this momentum by sticking to what he knows best whenever he toes the rubber.  

“I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing. It’s worked out, so I’ll just keep trusting my stuff and work with it,” Miller said about keeping his momentum on the mound. 

Ironwood made one final effort and pushed three runs across in the seventh. 

Northwoods is back in action next week in two road games at Chequamegon Monday, June 23, at 6 p.m., and will face Ironwood again in the U.P. next Thursday, June 26. Both games will begin at 6 p.m.