Highland fells Lone Tree to advance in softball postseason

RIVERSIDE — Highland softball teams are often built on speed and that fact was evident Wednesday in a 5-0 Class 1A postseason win over Lone Tree.

Aggressive base running helped Highland produce six stolen bases and four of them were of third. Leadoff batter Sarah Burton had four steals, two of third base. Mackinze Hora and Payton Brun each had a steal of third base.

All it takes is one pause by a catcher and the Huskies are mushing their way to a stolen base. It is a “huge deal” for Highland to do that and put pressure on its opponent.

“I tell them to take it if it’s open,” Highland head coach Carrie Wieland said. “They have free rein on a change up or a passed ball.”

Stolen bases are such an integrated part of the Highland program that often Wieland doesn’t even give a sign to steal, it’s up to the runners discretion. There are also secret signs for the Huskies to learn.

“When they read it and go, it’s way better than when I’m saying, ‘get here,’” Wieland said.

The Huskies are first in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference with 108 stolen bases this season. Columbus is second in the North Division with 82. West Burlington/Notre Dame is first in the South with 71. Highland is 19th in stolen bases of the 105 teams in Class 1A.

Stealing third base puts a player on the doorstep of home plate. Burton scored three of the five Highland runs. She reached base in every at bat. The Huskies took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when she was hit by a pitch and scored on Grace Batcheller’s double. Batcheller scored on Hora’s single.

“To have Sarah, a phenomenal athlete, setting the table is an advantage that we have,“ Wieland said.

Two more runs scored in the second inning, all with two out. Burton bunted safely and scored on Brun’s single. Brun scored on Abbi Stransky’s single.

Burton didn’t get a chance to steal third when she singled in the fourth inning, scoring on Brun’s double. In Burton’s last at bat she tried to stretch a double into a triple and was thrown out at third.

Batcheller pitched six innings with a walk, three hits and six strikeouts.

“The ump and me, we were on the same page when it came to the strike zone. I was like, ‘OK, Blue,’” Batcheller said. “It’s rare when that happens, but I do remember it happened with Pekin when I had 14 strikeouts.”

Not giving up a walk is better than any amount of strikeouts, Batcheller said. "I hated that I got that one. That was the worst time to get a walk.“

Two Lone Tree hits sandwiched the lone walk in the fifth inning, prompting a Wieland visit.

“I’m glad that my coach came out and talked to me,” Batcheller said. “It helps to get me and the team together and get centered. My team always helps me out with those type of situation If I’m struggling my team picks me up. I have to thank my teammates for that.”

“Grace pitched a great game,” Wieland said. “She was getting tired so that’s why I brought Jess (Kraus) in (for the seventh inning). We made the change to make it easy on everybody.”

Kraus struck out the first two batters and induced a weak ground ball for the final out.

Highland is 21-6 and Lone Tree ends its year at 10-16. Highland plays at No. 15 Winfield-Mount Union (17-5) at 7 p.n. Friday. The two teams met twice previously with each winning a game.