Highland Lady Cougars Bring Home the Gold
For the first time since 2005. Your Highland Cougars are your Class 2 State Softball Champions.
The Cougars beat the Mid-Buchanan Lady Dragon 4-1. The Cougars put up a 27-6 record. They would beat Monroe City 15-0 to win district. Beat South Harrison 9-0. Sneak past Linn 2-1. And show off the offence to win 4-1. What an incredible team to cover. The biggest thing is the number of Sophmores and Juniors on the team show a lot of promise for next years season
The Game
Highland would play home team as Abby Lay would get the start in the circle. Lay pitched a complete game in extra innings in the win over Linn.
For Mid-Buchanan they would start sophmore Kaylea Myers.
Both pitchers would only give up a walk up to the third when the Wildcats would strike first. Rothweiler in the bottom of the 3rd would hit a two out single and immediatly steal 2nd. Upon stealing 3rd no Dragon was covering the bag and an error would allow Rothweiler to run home and score. Lay would give up a walk in the 4th before sending the Cougars back to the bats.
Crist would start things off with a single. Lay would follow with one of her own. Ritterbusch would get on base with a running bunt and the ball would get mishandled alllowing Crist to score making it 2-0. Darnell would single on a line drive to bring in two more runs of courtesy runner Lundberg and Ritterbusch to make the game 4-0.
Mid-Buchanan would show their offense in the remainder of the game. Top of the 5th would see the Dragons score after a couple singles and a ground out fielders choice would allow the lead off hitter to score and make the game 4-1.
The rest of the game would see both pitchers be put into tight binds however they would get out of them. The top of the 7th Lay would end the game with a fly out, Ground Out, and pop out to win the game and to crown your 2024 Class 2 State Champions.
Final Stats
Highlands Abby Lay would throw 110 pitches, 69 strikes, in 7 innings. 3 hits, 1 run, 7 strikouts, only 3 walks.
Mid-Buchanans Myers would throw 81 pitches, 55 strikes, for 6 innings. 8 hits, 4 runs, 5 strike outs and only 1 walk.
Rothweiler would get 4 at bats 2 hits and 1 run. Crist would get 3 AB, 1 hit, 1 run. Ritterbusch would go 3 AB’s, 1 run, 1 hit, 1 RBI. Finally Darnell would go 3 AB’s, 2 Hits, 2 RBI’s on the day.
#5 Pearson would get 1 run. #22 Archdekin would get the RBI.
Final Thoughts
Congratulation to Coach Paul Scifres and his Lady Cougars. Its has been an incredible journey and while this team will lose 2 seniors. They will have a roaring team ready to go for next year. I would no be suprised if this team makes a return.
