Durant scores early in win over Highland

RIVERSIDE - When a visiting baseball team scores four runs in the top of the first inning, it can have an adverse effect on the home team's psyche.

The vistors from Durant scored all they would need with those first runs in a 9-3 victory at Highland Monday.

Durant improved to 11-10 while Highland now has a 10-9 record with the loss and plays host to 14-5 Sigourney today.

Two errors, three hits, two passed balls and a stolen base equalled those four first-inning runs.

Chase Schultz started for the Huskies and allowed nine hits, a lone walk and struck out four. All nine runs were his but only four were earned.

'Coach has touched on it with us and I think our team has a lack of heart right now,” Highland junior leftfielder Bill Laughlin said. 'We didn't put this game before everything else. Our minds, especially when we're in the dugout, seem like they are somewhere else. We just keep falling short in games that we should not fall short in.”

The Huskies answered in their half of the first inning leadoff hits from Laughlin then Trey Lasek, but couldn't score. 'It shouldn't matter that they scored all those runs right away,” Laughlin said. 'We have to battle back. We need to start getting hits.”

Laughlin got Highland on the board with a one-out solo home run in the third inning.

'Their pitcher had been throwing inside on us, pretty much all night,” Laughlin said. 'Brady Hahn had just struck out, but told me he was throwing inside. I took a step off of the plate. I think he threw me a ball or two and then he threw the the pitch I was waiting on and I turned on it and it went over the fence.”

The Huskies loaded the bases in the fourth and sixth innings but scored only one run from those opportunities.

'We hit the ball well most of the time, but it seems like we don't get that hit that we need when we need it,” Laughlin said. 'We get our runners on base and then we don't get them in. That really hurts us. It seems that we leave the bases-loaded quite a bit. That just does not help when you're trying to win a ball game.”

The Huskies had nine hits in the game and three stolen bases but left 11 stranded.

Jacob Leonard went 2 for 4 as did Highland teammate Jordan Sosa. Besides the home run, the only other run batted in was by Dan Burton.

The Huskies' postseason starts July 13 at Burlington Notre Dame against Cardinal (12-5) at 5 p.m.