Highland softball defeats Pekin Monday

RIVERSIDE ? The Highland Huskies pulled out a win at home Monday, June 12, defeating the Pekin Panthers 10-1.

Pekin?s lone run came in the first inning, but Highland would take the lead 2-1 after Kelsey Hora would cross the plate first for the Huskies followed by Kylie Wood scoring next after Abbie Miller hit a fly to center field.

Miller hit a solo home run in the third inning, putting the score at 3-1 in Highland?s favor.

Coach Carrie Wieland was confident in Abbie?s turn at the plate before she hit the ball.

?We all knew Abbie was going to hit that home run,? she says, ?just because of her attitude and her approach to the plate lately.

?It makes everybody very happy. It puts us all in a good place and so we?re working on everybody being together as a team and it?s working.?

Emily Yahnke would cross the plate after Miller hit a double into center field.

After Brylee Carolan hit a center field single, Aly Stokes crossed the plate, adding another run to the scoreboard for Highland.

Two more runs would score in the fourth, making the score 7-1.

Yahnke added another run in the fifth as did Wood and Haley Sweeting to end the scoring at 10-1 where it would stay for the remainder of the game.

Wieland said of the game, ?Even though we won, the one negative about tonight was we left a lot of runners on base.

?We are going to really work on scoring those runs. We need to put the ball in play and not be so selfish. I think scoring those runs will help relax a little more on defense.?

The girls play at New London Thursday and eliminating errors will be the team?s main focus during practice the next couple of days, Wieland says.

?Megan [Hoenig] didn?t walk anybody; she?s never been a walker. We don?t have to worry about walks.

?We have to give her the outs that are given. The infield popups can?t happen anymore. We?ll work on defense.?

Megan Hoenig took the win for the team giving up the one run on seven hits while striking out three.

Highland?s record is 9-2 and their game at New London starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 15.