HIGHLAND, Kan. - The Independence softball team suffered another pair of losses Saturday afternoon, as they fell to Highland 5-1 and 5-4 in extra innings. 

In game one, it was Indy who struck first. In the top of the third, Kynleigh Henson led off with a single and stole second, followed up by an RBI double off the bat of Madyson Paxton to give the Pirates the early 1-0 lead. In the bottom half of the third, just as it looked like the Pirates were going to work out of a jam, a backbreaking two-rbi double for Highland gave them a one run lead. Indy struggled the rest of game one to get any offense going, as they surrendered three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, and were only able to muster four hits and fell 5-1. 

Kyler Goins and Juliann Kindle had the other two hits, outside of Paxton and Hensen in game one. Sarah Wrape went 6 innings, surrendering eight hits and five runs while striking out two. 

In game two, Indy woke up the bats and erased a three run deficit in the late innings. Trailing 4-1 entering the fifth inning, Indy was able to chip into the lead with a two-RBI single from Juliann Kindle. In the sixth, Taylor Nixon led off with a single, immediately stole second base, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and then completed the trip around the bases when Madyson Paxton drove her in with a sacrifice fly, tying the game and ultimately sending it to extra innings. 

Both teams went scoreless in the first extra frame, but in the ninth Indy came up empty in the top half, while Highland was able to complete the sweep by driving in the winning run on an RBI single to win 5-4. 

Juliann Kindle had three hits and drove in two, while Taylor Nixon and Alexis Yarnell each had multi-hit games. Laci Jensen pitched the whole game, taking the loss, surrendering 11 hits, five runs, while striking out four. 

The two losses moved Indy to 4-16 overall and 0-4 in KJCCC play. Monday, they will travel to take on Northern Oklahoma-Enid for a non-conference doubleheader, before returning home on Thursday for more conference action against Hesston College.