Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 The Highland Softball team had a great weekend playing in the Cloud County Spring Classic finishing a perfect 5-0 and defeating two ranked opponents along the way.
 
Going into the weekend, the Scotties knew it was going to be a grinder. "This is going to be good for us," commented Head Coach Heidi Jordan, "we are going to be laying a lot of softball and some really good teams. I am excited to see how we handle it."
 
Handle it they did defeating all five opponents and run-ruling three out of the five.
 
Game 1:
 
Highland defeated No. 19 Iowa Central in game one on Saturday 11-3 in 5-innings. Sam Moran went 1-2 with three RBI's. Julisa Ortega got the win in the circle pitching three of the five innings giving up three runs on four hits. She waked one and struck out two. Kelly Uthe came in the final two innings and gave up no runs on two hits and struck out three batters.
 
 
Game 2:
 
Game two had Highland matched up against a scrappy Barton County team. Highland scored one in the first inning but went cold offensively. Barton tied it up in the fourth, but Highland answered in the bottom of the inning regaining the lead. The Scotties tacked on runs in the sixth and seventh and only allowed one more Cougar run to cross the plate and took the victory 4-2.
 
Alexis Hodapp hit a solo homerun into a stiff southern breeze. Kendra Baldridge, McKinley Jeanneret and Kami Zimmerman each had one RBI in the game as well. Raegen Hamm and Haley Donaldson split time in the circle. Hamm was credited the win allowing one run on no hits and she struck out two. Donaldson entered the game in the middle of the fourth inning and gave up one run on three hits. She walked two and had no strikeouts.
 
 
Game 3:
 
This would be the third game in a row for the Scotties but they showed no signs of being tired as they had to take on the No. 7 ranked team in the Nation, Kirkwood CC.
 
Both teams got out to a slow start offensively as neither team scored in the first two innings. Highland tacked on the first run of the game in the top of the third and added another in the fifth. Highland took a 4-0 lead in the top of the sixth but Kirkwood would score one in the bottom of the inning cutting into the Highalnd lead 4-1.
 
Alexis Hodapp took over in the seventh inning sealing the game hitting a three-run homerun, her second of the day. The Scotties would score two more in the inning and took a 9-1 lead.
 
Kelly Uthe retired the final Kirkwood batters and Highland defeated No. 7 Kirkwood 9-1 finishing off the day 3-0.
 
Julisa Ortega hit a solo homerun while Kendra Baldridge and Alyssa Wesley both added two RBI's in that final game. Julisa Ortega was credited the win.
 
 
Day two of the Cloud County Spring Classic brought high Kansas winds to the ball park.
 
Game 4:
 
After a long Saturday and some tough games, the Scotties were back on the field ready to get two more wins to finish the weekend 5-0.
 
Iowa Lakes scored their only run of the game early in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Highland answered in the third tying the game at 1-1. The Scotties opened it up in the fourth scoring four runs to take a 5-1 lead. Highland run-ruled the Lakers the next inning scoring six runs to get an 11-1 victory.
 
Kendra Baldridge, Haley Donaldson, Sam Moran and Sydney Anderson each had two RBI's in the game. Raegen Hamm got the win for Highland pitching 3.0 innings to 13 batters allowing just one run on two hits. She walked one and struck out three.
 
 
Game 5:
 
The final game of the tournament had Highland playing with the wind for the first time this weekend and they took advantage.
 
The Scotties hit three homeruns on their way to an 11-2 run-rule of the Central CC Raiders.
 
Aubry Hernandez was a force at the plate going 2-3 with two homeruns and five RBI's. Alyssa Wesley finished 3-3 with a homerun and three RBI's. Kendra Baldridge had two RBI's and Sam Moran chipped in one as well.
 
Haley Donaldson got the win for Highland pitching 3.0 innings facing 17 batters allowing just one run and five hits. She walked two and struck out three. Kelly Uthe finished the final two innings of the game facing eight batters allowing one run on two hits. She gave up no walks and struck out three.
 
 
"This was a good weekend for us," commented coach Scott Jordan, "It gave us some good looks as to what we need to work on in preparation for conference play starting this week."
 
 
Highland will start conference play on Wednesday, March 7^th as they travel south to Iola, KS to take on Allen Community College in a double-header at 2:00pm and 4:00pm. They will host their first home games of the year on Friday, March 9^th, as Iowa Western comes to town for a double-header at 1:00pm and 3:00pm at Scottie Park.