For the first time this baseball season the Highland baseball squad actually got to play at Highland Community ballpark as they took on Johnson County for a KJCCC four game series playing at Overland Park on Thursday and then in Highland on Friday.

Two of the four games were close and the other two it was double digit runs by Johnson County to hand the Scotties losses. On Thursday in game one of the series Highland fought hard but their comeback fell short falling 9-6 and in game two Johnson County won 14-6. Friday the Scotties were at home for the first time this season and they kept game one close with a chance to win but fell 3-2 and then a late big inning in game two gave Johnson County the 15-2 win. The four losses push the Scotties to 1-22 on the season and 0-12 in KJCCC play.

Game 1 on Thursday at Johnson County
The first game of the series proved to be a tight one but it was Johnson County that early control of the game against the Scotties as a pair of Highland errors were partnered three hits scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. An RBI double in the top of the second by Justin Rieschick scored Jason Gonzalez for the Scotties to get on the board making it 4-1. Highland worked the game to a 4-4 tie in the top of the fourth inning by scoring three runs on back-to-back doubles by Victor Sanchez and Jordan McClellan scoring two and one, respectively. Johnson County responded with a three run bottom of the fourth and two more runs in the sixth to lead 9-4 entering the seventh. Highland did not go away easily as Dalton Burt opened the seventh with a double and scored on a wild pitch, while Gonzalez had an RBI double to make it a three run game and it ended with that score 9-6.

Rieschick led the Scotties nine-hit attack at the plate going 3-3 with a run scored, double and RBI in the loss. While defensively five errors hurt the Scotties in the matchup. On the hill Jake Schrock work four innings as the starter giving up seven runs (four earned) on nine hits, with a strikeout and Noah McClanhan tossed a solid two innings giving up two unearned runs on two hits with two strikeouts.

Game 2 on Thursday at Johnson County
Game two of the doubleheader on Thursday saw Johnson County again take the early lead with a run in the bottom of the first but the Scotties tied it on a Cavaliers error that scored Jason Gonzalez who drew a walk earlier in the inning. After the 1-1 tie Johnson County tallied another run in the bottom of the second and then put together back-to-back four run innings in the third and fourth to lead 10-1. Scotties cut the lead to five with a four-run top of the fifth as Highland worked the bases loaded on a Jordan McClellan triple and back-to-back walks by Dalton Burt and Jackson Rehkow. Nick Schifftner brought in a run with a groundball, then a wild pitch scored another run before Nash Nickle hit a line drive double to center to score two more for the Scotties making it 10-5. Cavaliers grew the lead back out with two runs in the sixth and seventh innings each and the Scotties finished the game in the ninth with a run on a bases loaded walk by Nickle but only got one run in the ninth ultimately falling 14-6.

McClellan paced the Scotties at the plate in the loss going 3-5 with two runs scored and a double and triple, while Schifftner was 2-5 with an RBI and run scored. On the mound Dylan Arnett tossed two and one-third innings as the starter taking the loss, while in relief Max Milligan was solid with two innings of work giving up one run on one hit and a walk, while striking out three. Blake Robinson also had a solid outing tossing an inning and two-thirds without giving up a run or hit.

Game 1 on Friday vs Johnson County
On Friday the Scotties were able to play their first official home game of the season at Highland Community ballpark and gave Johnson County a run for their money in the doubleheader, especially in game one.

Johnson County just like the games on Thursday took the early lead scoring a run in the first inning capitalizing on a leadoff a double. The Scotties attempted to answer in the bottom of the first but stranded a pair of runners with two outs. Noah McClanhan helped keep the game close for the Scotties with a strong pitching performance as the starter but in the fourth Johnson County worked the bases loaded and looked like they might score again. Scotties went to the bullpen and Max Milligan entered the game and held the Cavaliers off the board, but in the fifth a two-run homer by Johnson County gave them the 3-0 lead. Highland got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Justin Rieschick drew a leadoff walk and stole second and then scored on a RBI single by Victor Sanchez. Sanchez came around to score on an RBI groundout by Mason Tittle making it a 3-2 game. It remained 3-2 entering the bottom of the seventh and the Scotties got the tying run on board via a dropped strike three but were unable to tally a run falling 3-2.

In the loss the Scotties had just three hits with two coming from the bat of Nick Schifftner, while Sanchez was 1-3 with an RBI and run scored. On the mound McClanhan was solid in three and one-third innings giving up just one run on one hit and two walks, while striking out two. Milligan tossed two and two-thirds and gave up just two runs on three hits, a walk and struckout two, while Schifftner tossed a scoreless inning.

Game 2 on Friday vs Johnson County
Unlike the first three games of the series the Scotties were the ones to take the initial lead in the final game of the four game set and the second game of the doubleheader at Highland on Friday. Scotties got on the board in the bottom of the first capitalizing on a leadoff walk from Jordan McClellan as a Johnson County error helped lead to the Scotties score as Jason Gonzalez brought in McClellan on a groundout. It remained 1-0 until the fifth inning when Johnson County tallied a run to tie the game at 1-1. The fortunate of the Scotties changed in the sixth inning as the Cavaliers batted around twice in the sixth registering 11 hits including three home runs to score 14 runs and while the Scotties got a run in the seventh it was not enough to continue the game as Highland fell 15-2.

Scotties had only three hits in the loss as Avery Miller, Nick Schifftner and McClellan each had a hit, while McClellan and Mason Tittle each scored a run. On the mound Justin Rieschick took the loss tossing five and one-third innings giving up five runs on seven hits, two walks and a hit batter, while striking out two. Four other Scotties saw action on the mound.

Highland continues the baseball season with more home games on the docket for the next few contests as they are set to host Rockhurst University JV on Tuesday, March 26^th at 4:00pm and then open a four-game KJCCC series with Cowley on Thursday, March 28^th with a pair of home games at 1:00 & 3:00pm.