After playing sixteen of their twenty Jayhawk League games on the road, the Highland baseball team returned to their home field and won three of four games against Labette Community College over the weekend.

In the series opener, Labette took advantage of three Scottie errors in the first inning to score seven runs and went on to a 7-1 win.  Nick Sarmiento (Saginaw, MI) pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, giving the Scotties an opportunity to come back in the game, but they were unable to put together a big inning.  Sarmiento allowed just three hits while striking out eight Cardinal batters.  Tyler Goldsberry (Papillion, NE) had two hits for HCC.

In game two, Vance Gorman (Osawatomie) hit a two run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Scotties a 6-5 walk off win.  With the score tied 3-3 going into the top of the fifth inning, Labette took a 5-3 lead on a two-out two run home run.  HCC got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the inning on a RBI ground out by Brady Greear (Centralia, IL) to make the score 5-4.  After a scoreless sixth inning and Labette unable to score in the top of the seventh, Tyler Parsons (Lansing) led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk, setting the stage for Gorman’s long home run. Tyler Goldsberry (Papillion, NE) picked up the win, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings.  Gorman, Goldsberry, and Jeremy Monty (Colorado Springs, CO) had two hits each in the game.

On Saturday, Brady Greear (Centralia, IL) hit and then pitched the Scotties to a doubleheader sweep as the defeated Labette 8-5 and 2-1.

In game one, HCC used the long ball as the Scotties hit three home runs in their win over the Cardinals.  With the Scotties trailing 2-1 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Greear hit a two out solo home run to tie the game at 2-2.  Craig Hill (Morris, OK) then singled and Jeremy Monty hit a two run homer to give HCC a 4-2 lead.  The Scotties extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring four runs as Jordon Oddo (Grain Valley, MO) had a RBI single and Greear hit his second home run in as many innings, a three run shot, making the score 8-2.  Josh Reynolds (Gretna, NE) picked up the win, pitching three solid innings in relief before allowing three runs in the seventh inning.  Monty had three hits to lead HCC hitters.  Craig Hill and Alex Head (Topeka, KS) had two hits each.

In game two, Greear took the mound and allowed just one run while limiting Labette to three hits over six innings of work.  The Cardinals scored their run in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead, but only had three men reach base the rest of the game.  Derek Rottinghaus (Seneca) retired all three batters he faced in the seventh inning to pick up his sixth save of the season.  The Scotties scored the only runs they needed in the bottom of the third inning on a RBI ground-out by Tyler Goldsberry, and a RBI single by Head.  Monty and Jesse Richel (Morris, OK) had two hits each for HCC. The Scotties’ defense committed only one error over the final three games of the series.  HCC is 19-17 on the season, and 10-14 in league play.

The Scotties have a busy week ahead of them, as they host Maple Wood Community College on Tuesday, April 10, to finish a doubleheader that started last Tuesday.  They will finish game one that was suspended after seven innings with the score tied 2-2.  On Thursday, April 12, HCC travels to Beatrice, NE to take on Southeast Community College in a doubleheader before getting back to league play hosting Neosho County Community College on Saturday, April 14, and Sunday, April 15.