This past Monday night, the Highland Park High School Varsity softball team traveled to Lake Highlands for their fourth district game. In a game marked both by defensive errors, and, at times, by spectacular defensive recoveries, HP won the game 5-4.
HP jumped on the Lady Wildcats early. In the top of the first, after lead-off batter Rennie Orr drew a walk, junior leftfielder, Emily Singh, promptly singled down the third base line. When Sunny Bowden (who is 8-for-12 in 4 district games) singled, the bases were loaded for junior Katie Bell who belted a base clearing double. Lake Highlands would get two back in their half of the first, making the score 3-2 after one complete inning.
Later, in the top of the third, freshman Amanda Reenan smoked one of her two doubles on the night which scored senior Emily Vandermeer and Bell who both had walked. The score stayed 4-2 until the Lady Wildcat half of the 5th.
In that 5th, the Lady Scots almost escaped the inning without allowing any runs, but a near-miss on a double play and the resulting overthrow scored two Lake Highlands’ baserunners and the game was tied 4-4.
In the Scottie half of the 6th, Amanda Reenan led off the inning with that second double and when Rennie Orr bounced a hard hit grounder to the Lake Highland’s shortstop, it was too hot to handle, Orr was safe and Reenan would score what would be the winning run.
The Scots had to hold on for 6 more outs, however. They managed to do just that, and in dramatic fashion. In the bottom of the 7th, after an errant throw to first on a routine grounder caromed into foul territory, junior right-fielder Grayson Rutherford (who was backing up on the play), hustled for the ball and rifled a strike to 2nd base where the Lake Highlands runner was headed – she was out. The next Lady Wildcat, too, was put out after Sunny Bowden snatched a liner right off her shoe tops. Not to be outdone, on a short flare, centerfielder and senior captain Kate Hodges made a low, tumbling snag, clutching the ball as she hit the ground to end the game.
The Lady Scots are now 3-1 in district. The team faces district leader Mesquite at the HP softball field at 7pm Tuesday night. HP has another home game this Friday, March 27th also at 7pm. This Friday will be ‘Y’ night at the Lady Scot Softball field. Any youngster wearing a team jersey will get in free!