BACK-to-BACK DISTRICT CHAMPS; Highland Offense Topples Paris

Lewistown, MO – The Highland Lady Cougars are once again District Champions. Highland defeated the Paris Lady Coyotes 10-3 to capture the title. Paris started Ava Crain in the circle, while the Cougars turned to Abby Lay.

Lay worked around early traffic, striking out three in the first to give her offense a chance. Addy Abell doubled and stole third, and Bailie Crist brought her home with a line drive to center. Paris loaded the bases in the second but couldn’t capitalize as Lay escaped with a pop-out and strikeout.

The Coyotes tied it 1-1 in the third after a wild pitch scored Katie Kummins, but the Cougars immediately answered. Corrine Brinkley laid down a bunt single, Rothweiler reached on an error, and Abell ripped a two-run double to center to reclaim the lead.

Highland broke the game open in the fourth. Brinkley doubled home a run, Rothweiler followed with an RBI triple, and Crist and Lay added two more RBIs to make it 7-1. Paris scored again in the fifth on an RBI single from Layla Riechmann, but Highland’s defense held steady.

In the sixth, Paris cut it to 7-3 before the Cougars closed it out. Brinkley doubled again, Rothweiler reached on an error to score her, and Abell singled. Crist’s RBI groundout pushed the lead to 10-3, and Mathes finished things off in the circle.

The Cougars head to Sectionals, where they will host a quarter-final match-up against the winner of District 6 on October 25th, with the time to be determined. That title match will take place on October 20th, between South Harrison and Marceline.

KEY STATS

Highland; 10 R, 10 H, 1 E

Abby Lay (W); 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 9 K; (At Bat) 1-4, 2 RBI, 1 HR

Corrine Brinkley; 3-3, 1 RBI, 3 R, 2 2B

Addy Abell; 3-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B

Paris; 3 R, 6 H, 3 E

Ava Crain (L); 6.0 IP, 10 H, 10 R, 4 ER; (At Bat)1-3

Emma Ashenfelter; 1-2, 1 RBI

Layla Riechmann; 1-3, 1 RBI