Highland softball team loses to Jesup

RIVERSIDE ? The Highland baseball team suffered their first loss of the season Tuesday, June 6, as the Southeast Iowa Super Conference challengers from Jesup won by an 8-4 final score.

The game would be close right away as both teams put up a run in the first inning.

Highland would score in the second inning to pull ahead 2-1. Jesup would score two runs in the top of the third to take the lead, but Highland would tie in the third the game keeping it even at 3-3.

The Huskies scored another run in the bottom of the fourth putting the girls ahead by one run.

Jesup would dominate the fifth inning as they scored four runs and wouldn?t allow Highland to add more runs the rest of the night as Jesup would score one more run in the seventh inning to get the 8-4 victory.

Coach Carrie Wieland said even though the girls lost, the loss doesn?t have a big impact on the team.

?It doesn?t mean much,? she said. ?In this aspect, we just gave them [Jesup] too many outs; a couple of extra outs per inning.

?I really think it was good for us to be in this situation with pitchers Megan Hoenig and Brylee Carolan on the mound.

?We don?t like Megan getting hurt, but she?s been hurt previously, so we?re trying to have Brylee throw a few innings and she did a good job by coming in and finishing the game.?

Defensively, the girls played well in the outfield.

?I told the girls that I wasn?t worried about our offense because that is hitting and we?re quick. It?s our defense that needs to sharpen up a little bit.

?However, Peanut [Kelsey Hora] made a couple of great plays out there and Sarah Schneider made some good defensive plays as well.

?Jesup had some really good catches. If those would not have been caught, the balls would have been triples on any other team. We?re not used to that.?

One highlight in the game was when Hora got on base in the first inning. It marked her 200th career hit. Wieland says it makes her proud.

?Peanut has been here since the eighth grade and doing the exact same thing she?s doing now with her speed and her ability along with her love of the game,? Wieland said.

?I?m super proud of her and it makes me feel good to be involved in something like that.?

The girls fall to 5-1 and will be host to West Burlington-Notre Dame Thursday, June 8. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.