The 2016 Highland Park varsity softball team bookended their spring break with key wins over district opponents. Prior to their respite, Highland Park beat Richardson Pearce 5-1, then, this past Tuesday at the Mesquite Girls Softball Complex, the Lady Scots defeated Mesquite Horn 8-4 in a total team effort.
The Friday before spring break, the Lady Scots hosted the Lady Mustangs. HP's bats were quite through the first two innings of the game as they tried to find their timing against Pearce's pitcher, a hard-throwing right-hander who gave up four walks and threw two wild pitches in the first two innings of the game. Unfortunately, the Lady Scots were unable to capitalize from their early inning base runners despite having them in scoring position. HP's courtesy runners seemed uncertain on the base paths.
In the Lady Scot half of the 3rd, sophomore third-baseman Amanda Reenan experienced first-hand the velocity of the JJP hurler's fastball, when she was plucked by the first pitch of the inning. Senior Sunny Bowden then came to the plate, and, just as she had done in her team's previous game against N. Mesquite, she rapped a base-hit up the middle to score Reenan. With Bowden on 1st, senior catcher Rennie Orr then vaporized the first pitch she saw -- sending a line drive over the left-center fence for a two run home run. The Lady Scots would add one more run in the frame after Katie Bell walked and junior shortstop Olivia Davis smacked a base hit to leftfield which scored the courtesy runner for Bell, junior Sarah Hall. Through 3 full innings HP was up 4-0. The Lady Scots would add one more run in the 5th after Rennie Orr (who singled) would score on an Olivia Davis double.
As it turned out, HP senior pitcher Katie Bell would only require minimal offense output from her teammates, as she was in command of the Lady Mustangs all night. Through 7 full innings of work Bell racked-up 8 strikeouts and allowed no earned runs on three hits and no walks. Bell put the Lady Mustangs away in order in the 5th and 6th, and HP’s defense would do the rest to secure the win.
In their Tuesday night win, HP again got off to a slow start, taking, evidently, a few innings to shake off the last remnants of their spring break. Highland Park was held scoreless through 3 innings, with only one hit, and trailed 1-0, when, in the top of the 4th inning, the Lady Jaguar 2nd baseman couldn’t handle a smash grounder by Katie Bell. After a line drive by senior slap-hitter Grayson Rutherford, senior Lauren Jackson proceeded to take a 1-1 fastball back up the middle for an RBI single. With Rutherford at 3rd, she would easily score when sophomore Sydney Thompson hit a soft liner just beyond the Mesquite Horn 2nd baseman. Through 4 innings, Scotty was up 2-1.
Mesquite Horn would tie the game in the bottom of the 4th, however, after a two-out triple and a base hit by Horn’s 9-hole batter. In the top of the 5th Highland Park would regain the lead when sophomore Amanda Reenan led-off the inning with a line-shot double to centerfield. After a bunt single by senior Emily Singh and another single by senior 2nd baseman Sunny Bowden, the bases were loaded for senior catcher Rennie Orr who promptly sent first pitch she saw back up the middle, scoring Reenan. After a Katie Bell sac. fly, the Lady Scots were ahead 4-2.
Horn added one more run in their half of the 4th before the Lady Scots came to bat in the 6th. In this inning, HP would score 4 more runs on 2 hits; Amanda Reenan’s single and Rennie Orr’s two-run double. HP’s final two runs were scored on a walk with the bases loaded and by a fielder’s choice hit by Bell. HP's four-run sixth would be too much for Horn, particularly with pitcher Katie Bell hitting her spots. The senior HP hurler put Horn away in order in the 6th and struck-out the last batter in the 7th -- Bell would finish the game with 5 strikeouts, bringing her season total to 81.
With the win Tuesday, Highland Park is now 7-7 overall and 3-0 in district play and is in a great position with three tough district games upcoming against Lake Highlands, Mesquite and Berkner (the latter two are both away games). HP softball will be at home this Friday, March 18th to host Lake Highlands. It will also be Teacher Appreciation Night. The varsity team will acknowledge the hard work and dedication of their high school teachers. These faculty members will be recognized on the field before the start of the game at 6:30pm. First pitch is at 7pm.