Huskies eke out win

PACKWOOD - Highland High School softball coach Carrie Wieland has seen a lot of different types of teams in her 16 years as the Huskies leader, but the 2019 version is unlike any other.

The Huskies improved to 2-1 with with a 3-2 win over Southeast Iowa Super Conference North Division rival Pekin Thursday.

'This was a fun one,” Wieland said. 'That is important with this team because they are different from any team I have ever coached. We have to have fun. If I get too excited or if I get mad, it changes the demeanor of my team.”

The game was scoreless until the Huskies juiced the bases in the fifth inning on three consecutive singles from Jenna Sands, Mackenze Hora and Dani Laughlin.

Emily Yahnke's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded scored a run, then Abbie Miller laced a two-run double for the 3-0 lead.

'I have great leaders this year,” Wieland said. 'I am super pumped about this team and can't ask for anything better. Aly Stokes and Abbie Miller are awesome and they are great with the younger kids. Jenna Sands is a sophomore and has never played varsity. Dani Laughlin is an eighth grader and Ellie Anderson did not play varsity so a lot of them are new.”

Anderson went 2 for 4 with a single and a double.

In the bottom of the seventh, a three-base throwing error put a Panther at third, then Emilee Linder's single scored the run. Aground out and a single advanced Linder to third and Zoey Wright's sacrifice scored her, but the Panthers couldn't push another run across. Before the error, catcher Hora tripped over her mask running up the third base line to catch a pop-up.

'That error happened because of me talking to (Miller),” Wieland said. 'It was totally my fault. I was literally talking to her about the pop-up to the catcher.”

Megan Hoenig gave up four hits and struck out three for the win.

Pekin fell to 0-4.

'I think we played outstanding defense,” Pekin coach Shelby Atwood said. 'We have seen the girls be resilient this year because we have been in some close games. Right now we have been looking for the big hit to get us over the hump. We will just keep playing great defense.”

The weather has had an impact on teams' preperation.

'There are a lot of things that we did totally wrong, but there is a lot we did right and it's great that we did things right because we have not had a decent practice,” Wieland said. 'We have to practice in the gym and its a small gym, but the kids have been great and happy and that's all I can ask for, all I can ask for.”

Highland hosts Wapello today.