After easy wins on Monday and Tuesday, the Huskies had to battle for a victory on Wednesday at Cardinal. 

Highland fell behind 4-0, but scored seven unanswered runs to pick up the cross-divisional road win 7-4 over the Comets.

“I don't think we came out with the same intensity that we typically do,” coach Seth Milledge said about his team, which was coming off of 14-0 and 22-0 wins.

“Coming back and responding in a positive way and then sort of putting it on them and adding late in the sixth inning — that was a really good job for us. I can't ask for a better team effort with the way we played in the game for sure.”

Brenton Bonebrake delivered the 2-run go-ahead hit with two outs in the sixth inning. His hit escaped the centerfielder’s glove, allowing Bonebrake to advance to third base. He would score an insurance run on Bryce Thompson’s single. 

“I was just trying to get a base hit, get them all around the bases,” said Bonebrake, who went 3 for 3 at the plate. “I didn't know it was under his glove until I looked out there and saw he was running back towards the fence. I heard coach say ‘run, run, run!’ So I kept running until he told me to stop.”

Highland trailed 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning when Connor Grinstead reached base on an error to lead off the inning. Kaige Vonnahme drove him in with a single and then scored on a hit from Bonebrake to cut the lead to one. 

“I just wanted to get a barrel on the ball,” said Vonnahme, who also singled and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth. “I feel like one of my key things is just going to right field, taking it to the right side, and I feel like I did that good today.”

Milledge said that hitting the ball the opposite way has been a focal point for the team and was key to the late comeback. 

“They were pitching outside corner a lot, they had breaking balls the other way,” he explained. “We’ve got a right- handed hitting team — for us to drive the ball to right field… we try to go opposite field quite a bit, we work on in practice, and you saw it sort of come through tonight. Not that we can’t pull the ball and do those things, but when you need it that's a place where a ball can drop in and it did for us.”

After giving up four runs on three hits and three walks in the first two innings, Grinstead allowed just a hit and two walks over the next three while striking out five. 

“We get down 4-0, he easily could have wilted and gone away, and he didn't do that,” Milledge said. “He rose to the occasion, he kept throwing strikes. He had great comeback innings there and  gave us a chance to win.”

Logan Bonebrake retired the last six batters in order on 17 pitches to seal the victory for Highland. 

Highland 22, Columbus 0

Logan Bonebrake hit his first varsity home run during Highland’s 22-0 win over Columbus on Tuesday. 

The sophomore hit a three-run homer to put the Huskies up by ten runs in the second inning. He also drew a walk and reached on error, finishing with a team-high four RBIs. 

Seven straight Huskies were walked or hit by a pitch with one out in the first inning as Highland took a 6-0 lead. 

Highland scored 12 runs in the third inning and Trevor McFarland struck out the side in the fourth to end the game early. 

McFarland pitched a no-hitter and struck out 10. He walked two batters and drew three walks.   

Kaige Vonnahme had a hit and drove in three runs. Luke Miller and Connor Grinstead each drew three walks and scored three runs.