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Highland Baseball Wins Over Labette

Highland Baseball Wins Over Labette

Justin Paul (Omaha, NE) went twelve for nineteen, including six extra base hits and twelve RBIs in helping the Highland Community College baseball team take three out of four games over the Labette Community College.

In game one on March 20 at Labette Community College in Parsons, Highland scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to erase a 15-12 deficit, and then held on for a 16-15 win in a wild contest.  The Scotties jumped to a 12-2 lead, scoring ten runs in the third inning.  Dakota Woods (Clarinda, IA) had a solo home and a double, and Evan Smith (Wichita) hit a grand slam in the big inning in which Highland had nine hits, but the lead wouldn’t hold up as Labette scored four runs in the fourth inning, and one run in the fifth inning to narrow the gap to 12-7.  Then with two outs, and nobody on in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cardinals took advantage of two errors and seven hits to score eight runs to take a 15-12 lead into the seventh inning. The Scotties then used five singles and a sacrifice fly to regain the lead.  Brett Norris (Atchison) picked up the win, pitching a scoreless seventh inning.  Justin Paul had four hits for Highland, Dakota Woods had three hits and four RBIs, and Evan Smith had two hits and five RBIs.

In game two on Thursday, a lead-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Labette an 8-7 win.  Trailing 3-0 entering the top of the fifth inning, the Scotties scored five runs on six hits, with RBI hits from Kasey Clark (St. Marys), Dakota Woods, and a three run home run by Justin Paul in taking a 5-3 lead.  After a scoreless fifth inning, Labette took advantage of two Scottie errors with two outs in the sixth inning to score four runs to regain the lead at 7-5.  Highland scored two runs in the seventh inning on a RBI double by Justin Paul and an RBI single by Sam Brooks ((Bay City, MI) to tie the game at 7-7, setting the stage for the walk-off home run in the ninth.  Four Highland errors led to five unearned runs in the game.  Paul again had four hits in the game in leading Highland hitters.  Woods and Jaylen Jenkins (Topeka) added two hits each.

In game three on March 22 in Highland, the Scotties used a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth to take a 7-6 win over Labette.  Highland took an early 5-2 lead, scoring five runs in the bottom of the second inning, as Eli Relford (St. Joseph, MO), Aaron Seele (Silver Lake), and Justin Paul each had RBI hits, and Zach Roberts (Morris, OK) contributed with a two run double.  Labette used a solo home run in the third inning and two-run double in the fourth inning to tie the game at 5-5.  Highland quickly regained the lead 6-5 in the bottom of the inning on a triple by Seele and an RBI single by Royce Behar (Ponca City, OK).  After a scoreless fifth inning, the Cardinals used a double and a single to tie the game at 6-6 after six innings.  Labette threatened to take the lead in the seventh inning, loading the bases with two outs, but Clayton Tiffany (St. Joseph, MO) struck out the final batter in the inning.  Highland had the winning run at second base and one out  in the bottom of the seventh inning, but couldn’t get the runner home, sending the game into extra innings.  Jared Byous (St. Joseph, MO) and Clayton Tiffany pitched three good innings each in relief, allowing only one run over the last six innings.  Seele, Behar, and Paul each had two hits for Highland.

In the final game of the series, the Scotties completed the sweep as Taylor Hendrick (Springfield, MO) pitched a complete game and Justin Paul hit a two-run double to put Highland ahead in a three-run fifth inning and added a three-run triple in a five run sixth inning as Highland defeated Labette 10-3.  Taylor Hendrick (Springfield, MO) allowed single runs in each of the first, second, and fourth innings and then shut the door over the final three innings.  Sam Brooks (Bay City, MI) had a solo home run in the second inning and an RBI double in the sixth inning.  Aaron Seele had two hits and Evan Smith (Wichita) had two RBI’s.

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