Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 The season is finally underway for Highland softball as the Scotties travelled to Mississippi to open the 2020 season competing against some strong competition at the Hinds Classic.

Scotties opened the season in electric fashion delivering a walk-off 9-8 win over Northwest Mississippi on Friday night but split on the day falling to host of the Tournament #19 Hinds 12-7. On Saturday Highland had a tripleheader falling 8-2 to Copiah-Lincoln who is receiving votes in NJCAA Division II rankings and Scotties responded with a 5-4 win over Southwest Mississippi and 15-11 victory over Parkland.

Game 1 – Won 9-8 vs Northwest Mississippi
Eager to get the season underway the Scotties opened the 2020 season with matchup against Northwest Mississippi in the Hinds Classic. Scotties got rolling early plating three runs in the bottom of the first inning led by a two RBI triple by Gabby Schultz and added another on a bases loaded walk drawn by Lauryn Johnson. After sending all nine to the plate in the first inning the Scotties had eight go to the plate in the second and tagged Northwest Mississippi for three more runs with a pair of errors leading to two runs and then a solo home run by Chevelle Sartin.

Leading 6-0 the Scotties saw their lead get cut into as Northwest Mississippi scored a run in the third and fourth innings, then three in the fifth and three more in the sixth making it 8-6 Scotties trailing. Highland responded with Sartin's second home run of the game this time a two-run shot to tie the game. After blanking Northwest Mississippi in the top of the seventh the Scottie offense went to work in the bottom of the seventh as Johnson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Highland worked the bases loaded with an error and another hit batsmen and with two-outs Avery Greasham delivered an RBI walk-off single giving the Scotties an 9-8 win.

Four Scotties had two or more hits in the contest as Isabella Konieczka went 3-4 with three runs scored, while Sartin was 2-3 with two home runs, two runs scored, three RBI and two hit by pitches. Schultz went 2-2 with a triple, walk and two RBI, while Greasham was 2-2 with the walk-off RBI single. In the circle Shelby Downard tossed four and one-third innings as the starter, while Crystal Feldkamp tossed the final inning giving up just one hit in one inning and earned the win.

Game 2 – Lost 12-7 vs #19 Hinds
The lead changed hands multiple times over the course of the contest with #19 Hinds as Hinds struck first with a run in the bottom of the first inning but both teams tallied runs in the second and third. Scotties tallied a pair of runs in the second on a two-run homer by Shelby Donward and two more on a two RBI single by Chevelle Sartin in the third, but Hinds countered with a run in the second and four in the third.

Lead flipped back to the Scotties in the top of the fifth when Avery Greasham blasted a three-run homer to make it 7-6 but in the bottom of the fifth Hinds answered with six runs taking advantage of some Scottie miscues and Highland was unable to comeback falling 12-7.

Cheyenne Minnick led the Highland offense going 2-4 with two runs scored, while Greasham and Downard each had a home run and Hannah Schmidt registered a double. Lilli Weir got the start tossing all seven innings, while Crystal Feldkmp faced four batters.

Game 3 – Lost 8-2 vs RV Copiah-Lincoln
Highland ran into another team off to a strong start to their season as Copiah-Lincoln took advantage of a five-run third inning to lead them past the Scotties.

Scotties got on the board first in the second as Elizabeth Hays reaches on an error which scores Aliks Serna who had a single in the inning. Co-Lin answered with five runs in the bottom of the third getting the first run on an error and then four more runs on a pair of two-run homers. Shelby Downard got the only other Scottie run of the game on a solo home run in the fourth but Co-Lin tacked on three more runs to make it 8-2 final handing Highland the loss.

Downard, Konieczka, Minnick, Sartin and Serna each registered a hit in the loss, while in the circle Avery Greasham took the loss in two and two-third innings as the starter. Bailey Lacy was solid in her lone inning of action giving up one run on two hits.

Game 4 – Won 5-4 vs Southwest Mississippi
After a pair of tough losses the Scotties responded with a tough 5-4 win over Southwest Mississippi. Scotties got the offense rolling early as a leadoff walk and a bunt single got a pair of runners on in the first inning when Chevelle Sartin tattooed a three-run home run and then Sartin brought in another run in the third on a sacrifice fly scoring Isabella Konieczka who lead the inning off with a walk. Highland made it 5-0 with another in the fourth.

Leading 5-0 the Scotties saw Southwest Mississippi tally a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and one more in the sixth to make it 5-4. Looking for three-outs to secure the win Sarah Bond entered the game in the circle and picked up the save by retiring the side to finish the game at 5-4 in favor of the Scotties.

Scotties had only seven base runners in the game but took advantage of their four walks and two hits. Lilli Weir was strong in the game tossing six innings giving up four runs on four hits, four walks and struck out five.

Game 5 – Won 15-11 vs Parkland
Looking to cap the Hinds Classic with a winning record the Scotties found plenty of offense against Parkland and earned a 15-11 victory.

An RBI double in the first inning got the scoring started for Highland as Chevelle Sartin notched another extra base hit in her Highland career. Parkland however answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and another in the third to make it 3-1. In the fourth back-to-back singles to open the inning led to a run and then Alley Rickel blasted a three-run homer to swing the lead in favor of the Scotties. Sartin made it 6-3 with a solo home run in the fifth, but Parkland hit a pair of home runs in the fifth also making it a one-run game.

Highland responded in the sixth by batting around and doubling their output on the scoreboard plating six runs highlighted by a three-run home run by Isabella Konieczka, along with solo home runs from Sartin and Shelby Downard and an RBI double by Cheyenne Minnick. After scoring three more in the seventh on a three-run home run by Downard the Scotties led 15-5 looking for three-outs to secure the win. Parkland did not go away scoring six in the bottom of the seventh but the Scotties finished the contest off and picked up the 15-11 win.

Sartin paced a 15-hit attack by Highland as she was 5-5 with two home runs, two doubles, four runs scored and three RBI. Downard added a 3-4 game with two home runs, a walk, five RBI and three runs scored and earned the win in the circle, while Rickel went 2-4 with a home run, stolen bases, two runs scored and three RBI.

Scotties sit at 3-2 on the season after the Hinds Classic and are set to host Jefferson College on Saturday, March 7^th for a doubleheader starting at 1:00pm.