The Huskies already knew that they could compete with the best teams in their class and conference. 

Now they know they can beat them too. 

Highland scored twice in the seventh inning to walk off with a 3-2 win over 1A No. 13 Winfield-Mt.Union on Monday, June 28. 

The Huskies had just one hit and had struck out nine times entering the seventh, but got three hits in the final inning, including the game-winning single from Katelyn Waters. 

“The pitching is their key,” Highland coach Carrie Wieland said about WMU (14-5). “If we can do anything with that ball and get it on the ground, we’re going to score runs and we’re going to be able to beat them. 

“When we believed, that’s when we had that opportunity. It was a huge, huge win for us, for the crowd, and I’m really proud of everybody.”

The 1A Huskies had faced teams ranked in the top 15 of 2A in four of their previous five games, and lost all four. 

Coming off of a 2-1 loss to No. 13 Wapello, Highland trailed 2-1 entering the seventh on Monday and had just one hit off of Madie Anderson through six innings. 

Grace Batcheller led off the seventh with a double and Kinze Hora moved the tying run to second base with a bunt single. 

After Kayla Cerny put the ball in play, Batcheller beat the throw home to tie the game. 

Then with two outs, Waters delivered the walk-off hit. 

“I just knew that I needed to put the ball in play and beat it out just like I’ve done all season,” Waters said. “I knew that everybody believed in me and that calmed my nerves a little bit, and I was super excited to see Kinze Hora on third waiting to score. 

“So it was really nerve racking, and just super exciting.”

Sarah Burton reached base on an error and scored to tie the game at 1-1 in the first inning, but Highland did not have a hit until Hora singled to lead off the fifth. 

Huskie starter Jessica Kraus put herself in a tough spot in the first inning, giving up a single and walking two batters to load the bases with no outs. But she retired the next three and allowed just one run to score, which kept Highland in the game. 

The Wolves threatened again with a pair of singles in the third inning, but Payton Brun caught a line drive for the third out. Anderson hit a leadoff double in the fourth and a pair of errors allowed WMU to take a 2-1 lead. 

Kraus allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks over four innings. Batcheller pitched the final three innings and allowed just one hit and one walk. They each struck out four. 

Highland opens the postseaon on Wednesday, hosting the winner of a matchup between Holy Trinity and Lone Tree.  

Highland 3, Pekin 2

A couple of seventh-inning singles and a pair of errors made things interesting between Highland and Pekin (8-16) on Wednesday night, but the Huskies were able to strand the tying run on third base in a 3-2 win over the Panthers. 

Jessica Kraus had allowed just one hit and one walk through six innings, but the Panthers got back-to-back singles to lead off the seventh. 

A one-out error cut the lead to one run, but Grace Batcheller entered the game and got a strikeout and groundout to preserve the win. 

The game began on June 22. Sarah Burton drew a leadoff walk and scored on an Abbi Stransky single, but with rain suspending play, the score remained 1-0 until June 30.

Pekin tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning when play resumed, but Katelyn Waters’ single in the bottom half of the inning helped the Huskies quickly regain the lead. MyLei Smith reached base on an error and scored on Burton’s RBI double in the fourth to give the Huskies a 3-1 advantage. Waters finished 2 for 2 at the plate. 

Highland, WMU and Wapello each finished with four conference losses behind No. 3 Louisa-Muscatine, who lost just once in conference play. 

Highland 11, Holy Trinity 0

Huskie seniors Kayla Cerny and Jenna Sands each had a hit during Highland’s 11-0 win over Holy Trinity (6-15) on senior night Thursday. Cerny finished the game with one RBI and Sands scored a run in the five-inning victory. 

Abbi Stransky was 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs. Payton Brun and Katelyn Waters each had two hits as well. 

Highland 5, Belle Plaine 2

Highland 14, N Fayette Valley 0

The Huskies finished the regular season with 20 wins after picking up a couple victories in Lisbon on Friday. 

Highland built a 5-0 lead in the first game and hung on to defeat Belle Plaine (13-16) by a score of 5-2. 

Grace Batcheller was 3 for 3 and drove in two runs to lead Highland at the plate. Payton Brun also had three hits in the win and she scored twice. 

Jessica Kraus earned the win, she allowed two runs on 10 hits, but did not walk a batter. 

After two scoreless innings, Highland (20-6) scored 14 runs over the next two innings to defeat North Fayette Valley (10-19) easily in Friday’s second game. 

Brun was 2 for 4 with four RBIs and Batcheller was 2 for 3 with three runs driven in. Kinze Hora had two hits and two RBIs and Abbi Stransky drove in two runs as well. Kayla Cerny was 2 for 3 in the victory. Batcheller pitched the four-inning shutout. She allowed three hits with no walks, striking out three.