Cougars Caught in the Storm of Clark County’s Fourth-Inning Flurry
Location: Lewistown, MO | Monday, April 14
The Highland Cougars dropped a five-inning contest to the visiting Clark County Indians, 13-2, on Monday evening. Highland struck first and held a narrow lead through three innings, but an 11-run outburst from the Indians in the fourth proved to be the difference. These teams previously met on April 10 in Kahoka, where Clark County won 16-1.
Brock Schneider got the start on the mound for Highland and opened strong with two strikeouts in the first, working around a double and a walk to escape the inning. Schneider continued to pitch effectively into the third, with help from a defense that recorded quick outs and limited early damage.
Highland grabbed the lead in the bottom of the second after Kayden Teague and Gavin Sayers were both hit by pitches. A single by Dawson Hedges loaded the bases, and the Cougars capitalized with a bases-loaded walk to Heath Feldkamp and an RBI hit-by-pitch for Blake Hager. Anthony Walter nearly broke the inning open further, but his hard-hit ball to right was hauled in at the fence to end the frame.
Clark County got on the board in the third with a single and a passed ball, but Highland’s senior catcher Anthony Walter quickly shut down any further threat. With a runner on first, Walter caught a would-be base stealer at second with a strong, accurate throw to end the inning and preserve the Cougars’ 2–1 lead.
Highland had another scoring chance in the bottom of the third when Tyson Voth doubled to center and advanced to third on a passed ball. Teague and Sayers each drew walks to load the bases, but Clark County made a pitching change and escaped the jam with back-to-back strikeouts.
The game turned in the top of the fourth. Clark County strung together a series of base hits and took advantage of defensive miscues to bring home nine runs. Coach Buening made a pitching change, turning to Feldkamp in relief, but the Indians added three more runs before the inning ended.
Even amid the damage, Walter made another standout defensive play. Following a wild pitch, a Clark County runner attempted to take third. Walter didn’t rush for the loose ball—he anticipated the runner’s move and made a calculated read. As the runner rounded second, Walter scooped up the ball and fired a strike to third base for the out. The play was a testament to the senior’s awareness and leadership behind the plate.
Clark County added one final run in the fifth, but Walter continued to manage the basepaths, helping contain the damage as best as possible. The Cougars were unable to respond in the bottom half, and the game ended early via the 10-run rule.
The Indians improve to 4–8 on the season. They recorded 13 runs, 12 hits, and 1 error. Miller led the way offensively with 3 hits, 1 run scored, and 2 RBIs. Howe added 2 hits, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs.
Highland recorded 2 runs on 4 hits and committed 3 errors. Voth led the Cougars at the plate with 2 hits. Hager had a hit and an RBI, while Feldkamp added an RBI on a walk. On the mound, Schneider threw 3.2 innings, allowing 9 hits and 11 runs (4 earned) while striking out 4. Feldkamp pitched 1.1 innings in relief, giving up 3 hits and 2 earned runs with 2 strikeouts.
After the game, Assistant Coach Aren Schneider reflected on the turning point:
“The same kind of thing—backing up our pitcher—with Brock getting a little fatigued,” Schneider said. “When a guy pitches so well in the beginning, you hate to take it away from him… That’s on us, we may have stuck with him a little long.”
Despite the loss, Schneider saw encouraging signs at the plate:
“We did some things early that we can build on. Those guys had high energy.”
The loss drops Highland to 0–7 on the season. The Cougars will remain at home as they host the North Shelby Raiders on Thursday, April 17. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
“We feel like we can compete with them,” Schneider added. “They’ve got some players that we’ve gotta give respect to as well, but I think we can play with them.”
