RIVERSIDE 

Rain was a possibility for Highland’s home game against conference foe Wapello, but Mother Nature decided to take a back seat and the game proceeded without any interruptions which meant the Huskies were able to take care of business. 

Protecting home plate all night long, the Huskies (9-11) broke out the brooms, earning a season sweep over Wapello (3-13) with a shutout 6-0 win on June 20. 

Throughout this season Highland has found itself battling very well within their conference. This win gives them a 7-2 record in conference play and only Hillcrest is ahead of them with a conference record of 7-1. 

In the battle between Highland and Wapello both teams went scoreless for the first two innings. The top of the third saw Wapello go three up and three down and in the bottom of the inning is where the Huskies made their presence on offense known.

With two outs and two on base, Highland freshman Landon Roling came up big for the Huskies, hitting a single to bring in two runs. 

“Landon, he’s struggled a little bit over a year, but he’s starting to figure things out a little bit,” Highland coach Allen Rath said about Roling improving as a batter as the season goes on.

Now leading the game 2-0, Highland held Wapello at bay for the next two innings and then added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. 

Scoring three in the fifth, two of those runs were brought in by junior William Dunbar off a base hit when the bases were loaded. 

“Will has been swinging, I would say in the last week, he has been swinging a very good bat,” coach Rath said. “He’s been barreling it up quite a bit.” 

Highland scored one more run in the sixth to arrive at their final score of six.
Capping off a great game on offense, this last run was batted in by junior Logan McFarland. In the win McFarland led the team in hits, going three for four while up to bat, and he also scored two runs. 

Getting his third win on the mound this season, Colten Sypherd pitched in all seven innings. Sypherd recorded nine strikeouts, gave up five hits, and allowed two walks.  

“Colton went the whole distance against Pekin, three games ago, and he pitched amazing today as well and I would say he was a little more sharp,” coach Rath said. “This week he learned how to pitch, you got bases loaded there and he got out of it, so he learned how to pitch a little bit tonight.”  

Highland 13, Louisa-Muscatine 8

Earlier in the week the Huskies (8-10) went on the road and defeated the Louisa-Muscatine Falcons (4-11) for the second time this season on June 18. 

Highland began the game with a lead, scoring twice in the first, and the Falcons got on the board with a single run in the bottom of the inning. Both teams were denied home plate in the second, but this was not the case in the third. 

A heavy dose of runs was on the menu in the third inning with Louisa-Muscatine scoring five times and the Huskies scoring six. 

Both offenses cooled off after this inning although the Falcons did put up two runs in the fourth to tie the game, but they went scoreless for the rest of the contest. 

Highland broke the tie in the fifth with a single run and then put up four insurance runs in the seventh to take the win. 

As a team, the Huskies compiled 14 hits with Logan McFarland, William Dunbar, Landon Roling, and Garrett Beeson all ending with a team high two hits. McFarland also led the team in RBIs with four and reached home three times. 

The win on the mound went to freshman Hunter Seibel. Seibel struck out two, gave up seven hits, and allowed two walks.

Mediapolis 14, Highland 3

Falling at home, the Huskies (8-11) were defeated by the Mediapolis Bulldogs (15-4) on June 19. 

The Bulldogs scored twice in the first, but Highland secured three runs in the second to take a slim lead, but unfortunately could not keep up their momentum on offense, going scoreless for the remainder of the game.  

Mediapolis tied the score in the third before taking a commanding lead with six runs in the fourth. They then scored three in the fifth and two more times in the sixth to end the game early. 

Amassing seven hits as a team, Highland was led by William Dunbar who went two for three at bat. Ryker Miller and Hunter Seibel were responsible for one RBI each. 

The loss on the mound went to freshman Presten Smith. Smith pitched in four and two thirds of an inning, giving up six hits and allowing six walks. 

Highland 6, Wapello 0

Earning another season sweep over a conference opponent, the Huskies (9-11) emerged victorious over the Wapello Indians (3-13) on June 20.     

This win boosts Highland’s record in conference play to 7-2 and it was the second time this year they have shut out an opponent with the first time being also in a game against Wapello. 

Two scoreless innings went by before Highland broke the trend by taking the lead with two runs in the third. 

The Huskies, all while protecting home plate whenever Wapello was on offense, scored three more times in the fifth before adding an insurance run in the sixth to take the win.  

As a team Highland produced six hits with Logan McFarland leading the way with three. Bringing in two runs each to lead the team was William Dunbar and Landon Roling.

The win on the mound went to junior Colten Sypherd. Syphered went the distance, retiring nine batters, giving up five hits, and allowing two walks. 

Highland 13, New London 12

In a back-and-forth game that went into extra innings, the Huskies proved resilient on the road and scored a hard-fought win over the New London Tigers (6-11) on June 24. 

 After two innings played, Highland was facing a seven-run deficit, but scored five in the third to keep pace with the Tigers. New London responded with one run in the third and one on the fourth. Highland scored once in the fifth before they shifted the game in the sixth. 

Putting up another five-run inning in the sixth, the Huskies caught up and took their first lead of the game, but the Tigers scored twice in the bottom of the innings to tie the score. 

Going into extra innings, both teams scored once in the eighth. In the 10th inning Highland got it done on offense, scoring a single run, and on defense, prevented the Tigers from scoring, to get the win. 

It was a hit parade for Highland, ending the game with 17 hits. Connecting on a team high three hits were Logan McFarland, William Dunbar, Garrett Beeson, and Ryker Miller. Dunbar led the team in RBIs with three and hit his first home run of the season. 

The win on the mound went to Bryce Hazelett, striking out five, giving up three hits, and allowing no walks. 

Up next for Highland (10-11) is a home game against Winfield-Mt Union (6-9) on June 27.