Highland baseball team picked up three wins out of four games in a series with Baker University JV winning 14-1 & 5-4 on Thursday on the road and then picking up a 13-3 win at home and split the doubleheader at home falling 10-9 in the series finale.  

Thursday Game 1 at Baker JV
The bats got rolling early for Highland as the Scotties tallied four runs in the top of the first inning with a Brendon Bond double bringing in the first two runs of the game, then a Victor Sanchez RBI single added another and the Scotties scored their fourth run of the inning on the first of nine Baker JV errors in game one. Errors helped the Scotties get another run in the top of the second while in the fourth a Jason Gonzalez double scored a run and a Sanchez double scored another for the Scotties as they lead 7-0.

Both teams tallied a run in the sixth inning and then Scotties shut the door in the top of the seventh behind a six run output in the frame highlighted by three doubles in the inning. Scotties would ultimately out-hit Baker JV 15 to five and take game one 14-1.

Jackson Rehkow and Sanchez each had three hits in the win as Rehkow went 3-6 with two runs scored, a double, RBI and stolen base and Sanchez was 3-4 with two RBI, two stolen bases and a walk. Gonzalez went 2-3 with three runs scored, three RBI's, a double, walk and hit by a pitch.
Justin Rieschick tossed all seven innings for the win giving up just one run on five hits and one walk, while striking out four.

Thursday Game 2 at Baker JV
After taking the first game of the day on Thursday in lopsided fashion game two proved to be way tighter of a ballgame but the Scotties stilled grabbed the 5-4 win.

A bases loaded walk by Jason Gonzalez gave the Scotties the 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and that lead grew to 3-0 as Conner Fiene single in the third, followed by a Nick Schifftner double and then a Gonzalez two RBI single to extend the Highland lead. In the bottom of the fourth Baker snagged the lead for themselves as they scored four runs and lead 4-3 entering the fifth, but the Scotties had a nice answer in the fifth inning.

A Nash Nickle double to right field brought in a pair of runs and the Scotties retook the lead going up 5-4 and the Scottie bullpen shut the door tossing three scoreless innings over the rest of the contest to lift Highland to the 5-4 win.

In relief Austin Gottula earned the win going 1.1 innings, while Drake Seetin and Schifftner each tossed a spotless inning also with Schifftner earning the save. Jake Schrock as the starter worked 3.2 innings fiving up four runs, only one earned on four hits and five walks. Jordan McClellan was 2-4 at the plate for the Scotties, while Gonzalez went 1-1 with a run scored, three RBI's and three walks.

Saturday Game 1 vs Baker JV
Scotties wasted no time taking early control of the first game of the doubleheader against Baker JV at home on Saturday as Highland tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jordan McClellan led things off with a double and scored on an RBI single by Dalton Burt and the Scotties tacked on one more. Five more runs were put up in the bottom of the second highlighted by a two-run home run by Alejandro Pina, along with another RBI single by Burt, while Jason Gonzalez had an RBI single and Brendon Bond had a RBI double. With Scotties leading 8-0 in top fourth Baker got their lone runs of the contest plating three runs in the frame but Highland answered with four runs in the bottom fourth highlighted by RBI singles by Victor Sanchez and Kenneth Vega.

An RBI double in the bottom of the fifth by Pina finished the game via run-rule as the Scotties captured a 13-3 five inning win. Pina led the Scottie offense with a 2-3 performance with a home run, four RBI's, a run scored and double. While, Avery Miller was 2-3 with a run scored and a triple and Burt went 2-3 with two RBI's, three runs scored and a walk.

On the mound Noah McClanahan had a strong showing tossing all five innings to earn his first win of the season giving up three runs on five hits and one walk, while striking out six.

Saturday Game 2 vs Baker JV
Highland was looking for a four-game series swept of Baker JV but it would not be in the cards as the Scotties fell down early and their comeback attempt fell short in series finale falling 10-9.
Baker JV had the first six batters of the game reach safely and they scored five runs in the first inning and used that to hold on for the win. Scotties cut into the lead with two runs in the bottom of the second but Baker answered with two in the fourth, one in the fifth and two more in the sixth, while the Scotties managed just one run in the fifth inning that time frame.

Highland's big run at a comeback attempt started in the bottom of the seventh when the Scotties tallied four runs highlighted by a RBI double from Mason Tittle and a Baker error that scored a pair. Nash Nickle then blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to draw the Scotties within one-run. The Scotties would head into the bottom of the ninth trailing by one and after a leadoff single by Justin Rieschick had the tying run on but the Scotties saw Rieschick thrown out at third on the base pads and their opportunity for a comeback fell just short falling 10-9.

At the plate Rieschick was 2-5, while Nickle went 2-3 with two runs scored, a home run, two RBI's and a walk. Tittle went 1-2 with a run scored, two RBI's and a double. On the hill Max Milligan as the starter worked 4.1 innings giving up eight runs on eight hits and two walks, while Austin Gottula Drake Seetin and Nick Schifftner each made an appearance. 

With the 3-1 performance in the four-game series the Scotties move to 5-32 on the season and now gear up for a matchup against Cloud County on Tuesday, April 16^th at home at 2:00pm and then start up a big KJCCC series against Labette on Thursday, April 17^th.