Senior Leadership Shines as Cougars Beat Mustangs

LEWISTOWN, Mo. — The Highland Cougars earned a 9–3 win over the Marion County Mustangs on Tuesday night, celebrating Senior Night with strong performances on the field and a tribute to their leaders off it.

Seniors with their families prior to the game

The Cougars honored seniors Anthony Walter, Jonathan Hager, and Ean Ammer before the game. Ammer, who’s been sidelined by injury, joined his teammates in the dugout, while Walter and Hager took the field as the starting battery.

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“It’s been great,” Walter said of playing alongside Hager. “We’ve played together since third grade… I was always behind the plate commanding him, but tonight he got to do it.”

Early Strikes and Steady Pressure

The Mustangs threatened early, but Walter pitched out of a jam in the first inning thanks to a pickoff and a pair of strikeouts. In the bottom half, Hager sparked the offense with a leadoff double, and Heath Feldkamp drove him in with a two-out single.

Highland added runs in the second and third. Walks to Kayden Teague and Gavin Sayres helped set the table in the second, and Dawson Hedges drove in Teague. In the third, a pickoff attempt at second base sailed away, scoring Walter and giving Highland a 3–0 lead.

Marion County responded with a two-out rally in the fourth to tie the game at 3–3, but Highland answered right back. Hager reached on an error, advanced to third on passed balls, and scored on a balk during Walter’s at-bat.

“We just talked about winning the inning,” said Coach Ben Buening. “They might have won that fourth, but we won the first few and the rest of them after that.”

Cougars Pull Away

The Cougars opened things up in the fifth. Teague singled and later scored on a passed ball. Vaughn scored on a wild pitch, Hager came home on a Schneider RBI single, and doubles from Walter and Feldkamp capped the inning, pushing the lead to 9–3.

Tyson Voth with a grab in foul territory

“We came out aggressive,” Buening said. “They threw their ace at us… We got his pitch count up, got some runners on, and then just put some key hits together.”

Feldkamp delivers a strike in the seventh inning

Walter returned in the sixth to keep the Mustangs scoreless, but his night ended due to pitch count limits. Feldkamp came in and closed the game with a clean seventh inning.

Leadership and Teamwork on Senior Night

The bond between Walter and Hager, who have been playing together since third grade, was evident throughout the game. Hager had nothing but praise for Walter, especially when it came to their roles on the field.

“I’m used to him catching me,” Hager said. “But to go out there, switch roles, and get a win—it feels really nice.”

Walter added, “Sometimes I get in my own head and try to pitch for strikeouts. But pitching for contact and trusting my defense was the key tonight.”

Coach Buening reflected on the contributions of his senior class:
“They’re a breath of fresh air,” he said. “They’re some goofballs… but at the end of the day, they come to lead and pick up the younger guys. Even if the win column doesn’t show it, they’ve been a big part of rebuilding this program.”

Stat Leaders

Highland (3–11)