For the first time in school history the Highland Softball team has opened the National Tournament by going 2-0 and accomplished that feat by topping Itawamba on Thursday 11-3 in six innings.
The Scotties once again got a stellar pitching performance from
Kelly Uthe and partnered that with a strong offensive day recording 10 hits, drawing four walks and six hit batters to produce 11 runs and also capitalized on four Itawamba errors.
Highland struck first in the showdown as they got a monstrous home run from the bat of
Hannah Schmidt who smashed the ball over the scoreboard in left field and out of the park for her second home run at the National Tournament making 1-0 in top second. Scotties tacked on more in the third by batting around in the inning and getting a RBI double by Schmidt and RBI single by Uthe, while taking advantage of three hit batters and a walk. Uthe continued to aide her cause in the circle by getting it down at the plate, too as she notched another RBI single in the top of the fourth.
In the fifth
Cassidy Greer reached base on a single and then came into score on an RBI double by
Chevelle Sartin and then the Scotties bat around again in the top of the sixth scoring five runs, doing so on only two hits, along with three Itawamba errors, two hit batters and a walk making it 11-0.
Needing three more outs to end the game the Scotties saw Itawamba get on the board in the bottom of the sixth against
Sarah Bond but with two outs and three runs in by the Indians Uthe re-entered and recorded the final out to give the Scotties the 11-3 win in six innings.
Uthe came up huge again in the circle as she tossed 5.1 innings for the win and did not surrender a run giving up only three hits and struckout one, while also going 2-3 at the plate with two RBI's, a hit by pitch and run scored.
Sara Shinn was strong at the plate going 1-2 with a run scored, walk, stolen base, hit by pitch and reached on a error, while Schmidt finsihed 2-4 with three RBI's, a home run, double and run scored. Greer added a 2-2 showing with two runs scored, an RBI, walk and hit by pitch and Sartin had an RBI double with a run scored and two hit by pitches.
With the win the Scotties improve to 35-10 on the season and have their first ever 2-0 start to the National tournament in school history. Scotties now will play the number one seed LSU-Eunice on Friday, May 24th at Noon in a Winner's bracket Semifinal contest and will at least play one more game on Friday win or lose the game at Noon. Catch the game at Noon on the Scottie Sports Network.
