Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Highland baseball hit the road over the weekend and traveled to Harrison, Arkansas to compete against North Arkansas College for a three-game series and the Scotties continued their strong start to the season by winning the series taking two of the three games.

Scotties opened the action Friday winning game one 12-5 but settled for the doubleheader split falling 6-5 in game two. Looking to cap the weekend with a win and take the series Highland won the rubber match 8-2 and improved to 6-2 on the season with the 2-1 weekend.

Game 1 – Highland Won 12-5
Scotties set the tone early in the first game of the series as the bats came alive in the top of the second with a leadoff double by Jhors Gomez followed by the next four batters reaching safely to score four runs highlighted by RBI singles from Jacob Selock and Jorge Luis Burgos. Highland doubled their lead by batting around for the second time in an inning in the contest scoring four runs in the fourth with a two-run home run by Gustavo Nava and a two-RBI single by Nick Schifftner leading the charge. North Arkansas plated a run in the fourth and fifth innings but the Scotties added two in the fifth also and two more on a two-RBI double by Jason Dudzik in the seventh. In the bottom of seventh North Arkansas tagged the Scotties for three runs but Scotties finished them off to earn 12-5 win.

Jared Wells was strong on the mound earning the win tossing five innings giving up just two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five. At the plate Selock went 2-2 with three runs scored, an RBI and two HBP, while Jaeden Rodriguez was 2-3 with three runs scored, RBI, double and walk.

Game 2 – North Arkansas Won 6-5
Game two saw North Arkansas tag Highland for four runs in the bottom of the first off Scottie starter, Jacob Gajic and the Scotties were climbing an uphill battle from the start. At the top of the second Highland answered with three runs to make it a one-run game as Jacob Selock notched a two-RBI double in the inning. But a solo home run in the bottom of the second pushed it to a 5-3 score after two innings. Trailing 6-3 the Scotties got a run off an RBI single by Jason Dudzik in the Top of the fifth but left two runners on and then a solo home run by Dudzik to lead off the seventh drew Highland to within one run. The tying run worked its way to third and the bases were loaded but the Scotties were unable to scratch another run across falling 6-5 to North Arkansas.

In the loss Austin Gottula tossed two innings of strong relief striking out two and not giving up a run, while Gajic took the loss after tossing four innings. Selock was once again strong for the Scotties going 2-2 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored and an HBP, while Dudzik went 2-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Gustavo Nava drew two walks and Cade Medellin had a hit, run scored and an HBP.

Game 3 – Highland Won 8-2
Game three was the rubber match between the Scotties and the Pioneers of North Arkansas and Highland came to play early jumping on the lead in the first inning as Nick Schifftner after a single scored on an RBI single by Jhors Gomez. Scotties extended their lead with a three-run homer by Jacob Selock in the top of the second and after three innings led 4-1. The lead grew again in the fifth as the Scotties got an RBI double by Alejandro Pina and RBI single by Jorge Luis Burgos to score a pair of runs and then added one more on a pair of North Arkansas errors in the sixth. Leading 8-2 entering the seventh the Scottie defense and bullpen maintained the lead as Wikander Gutierrez, Solomon Rainey, and Bryan Rollin tossed the final three innings and did not surrender a run.

Joan Gonzalez earned the win in six innings as the starter he gave up just two runs on five hits, three walks, and two hit batters while striking out four. At the plate Burgos went 2-3 with a double, run scored, RBI and two walks, while Pina had a pair of hits, run scored and RBI. Schifftner added a 2-3 day with two runs scored, an HBP and RBI, while Selock had his three-run homer and drew two walks.

Highland now has a busy week ahead on the diamond as the Scotties are scheduled to play at Cloud County on Tuesday, February 25^th and then have a four-game series with Butler later in the week, with all the action pending weather.