Maya Herman's career-high five-RBI night in Nixa's 9-6 win over Carthage on Thursday started with the Lady Eagles shortstop remembering to wear her team's appointed home uniform combination. 

That formality actually couldn't be taken for granted, after she brought Nixa's home uniform for the Lady Eagles' road trip to Willard on Tuesday and thus couldn't play.

"I was walking out of my car and noticed they were all wearing a different uniform than me," Herman said of her gaffe. "It was awkward."

She didn't have time to drive back home before Nixa's bus was due to take off and no one was at home to bring her the correct uniform. 

"Both of my parents were at work and I thought my Dad was going to be late to the game, anyway," Herman said. "So, I just cheered everyone on."

She vows not to make the same mistake again.

"I have to bring both of our uniform combinations now," Herman said. "My Dad will make sure of that." 

Herman's return saw her bang out an RBI-single to left field and a pair of two-run singles to right. The latter were the most pleasing to herself and coach Matt Walker.

"Usually, I hit inside pitches, so I've been trying to work on outside pitches on a tee," Herman said. "I knew (Carthage's Jensen Elder) was a slow pitcher. So I tried to wait as long as I could on the pitch and go to right. Usually, I'm so early on pitches and hit a weak grounder to left. Today, I tried extra hard to redeem myself."

 "That's a big day," Walker said of Herman's five RBIs that raised her team-high season total to nine. She's dong a good job cleaning up the bases."

Nixa (3-2 overall and 1-1 in the COC) totaled 15 hits. Emily Morton was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Maddy Meirerer was 3-for-3. Katie Faulk and Chloe Krans both added two hits.

Meirerer was the winning pitcher, while striking out five, walking one and yielded a dozen hits.

Walker was pleased to see his exclusive right-handed hitting lineup repeatedly go the opposite way and take pitches to right.

"That's been a big 'stresser' from me to the team," he said. "We've got to let the ball go deep and drive the ball to the right side, instead of getting out on front foot and rolling over. 

"We'll scoot them up in the batter's box as much as they can and tell them to go to right-center. But they still can't wait. So, we've been working on waiting and going to right and I think it helped today."