Senior captains Katie Bell and Rennie Orr combined for 6 of the Lady Scots’ 8 total hits as the 2016 HPHS varsity softball team beat Lake Highlands High School 10-2 last Friday night at the HP Softball Field to remain unbeaten in district at 4-0.
Senior 2nd baseman Sunny Bowden and junior Olivia Davis each added key base hits of their own to help spark three big innings for Highland Park on a chilly evening when HP celebrated its teachers on Teacher Appreciation Night.
In each of their past two district games, the Lady Scots have let their opponent jump out to an early lead. Their game Friday against Lake Highlands was no different as the Lady Wildcats took advantage of an uncharacteristic Highland Park fielding error to score the first run of the game after the Lake Highlands lead-off batter singled to left field. That would be pretty much all Lake Highlands would get at the plate, however, as pitcher Katie Bell and the rest of the experienced Lady Scot defense held Lake Highlands in check most of the night. For her part, Bell struck-out 9, gave up 6 hits, no walks and no earned runs in securing the win through 7 full innings of work. HP’s lead pitcher has 90 strikeouts so far this season.
At the plate, HP waited until the bottom of the third inning to rally, scoring 4 runs in the frame. With two outs in the inning, the Lady Wildcat pitcher walked sophomore Amanda Reenan and senior Emily Singh. Sunny Bowden, who, lately, seems to find base hits at key junctures of a game, came through yet again when she took a 1-2 pitch through the right side for a base hit, scoring Reenan. The next batter, Rennie Orr, then bounced a base hit into left field, which scored Singh making it 2-1. After a fielder’s choice by Bell pushed the runners ahead 60 feet, junior Olivia Davis punched a base hit up the middle, scoring courtesy runners Millenia Perales and Sarah Hall. The inning would end with HP up 4-1.
The score was then 4-2 in the 5th when the Lady Scots would strike again. After Sunny Bowden was hit by a pitch, she would score after a Rennie Orr double. The next batter, Katie Bell, promptly scorched the first pitch she saw to centerfield. With two runners on, senior third baseman Lauren Jackson then tapped a slow roller to 3rd, which gave the Lady Wildcats all sorts of issues. The attempted throw to put Jackson out missed its target at first base, caromed off the dugout wall, and skidded into right field allowing two more Lady Scot runs across the plate. By the end of five innings the score was HP 7 Lake Highlands 2.
HP would add 3 more runs in the bottom of the 6th after catcher Rennie Orr hit her second double of the night -- a smoked 0-1 fastball that scored Amanda Reenan and Emily Singh who had both walked. After Katie Bell’s base hit scored Orr, it was HP 10, Lake Highlands 2.
The win improved the Lady Scot’s overall record to 8-7. Their 4-0 district start is the best start ever for the softball team. Highland Park has two tough tests upcoming -- both on the road -- at Mesquite on Tuesday, March 22nd and at Richardson Berkner on March 24th.