The Highland softball team had their season ended last night, and watched as Iowa City Regina won their trip to state in an upset.
The No. 4 Huskies fell 3-2 to the Regals in eight innings, in a game that could have gone either way.
Springer started in the circle quickly, getting Regina to get out in just six pitches in the first inning, but Regina would come back and put down the Huskies in short order as well.
In the second inning, the Huskies broke through with the first run of the game, with a double by Morgan Craig, a sacrifice by Kassie Vazquez, and then a passed ball scored Craig and they led 1-0, but it wouldn’t last long, as in the third inning, Springer hit her second batter of the game. With the tying run sitting on first, Cammy Verducci sacrificed to move her to second, and then an RBI double by Jenna Lehman scored the tying run.
Tied 1-1, Allison Stein stepped up and pull a line drive over the left field wall to make it 2-1, and the Huskies never saw the lead again. In the fifth they tied it up with a single by Kelsey Hora, and a stolen base put her in scoring position, then a sacrifice put her on third for the RBI single by Cheyann Adamson to tie it 2-2, but for the rest of the game Highland only had one more base runner, and went through 10 batters in three innings.
Regina kept it tied going into the eighth inning, when they had a big offensive inning. Jenna Lehman, who had Springer’s number all night, hit a single, then a sacrifice by Katie Wick moved Lehman to second, and then a single put two on, and the next single by Hannah Stein scored Lehman, the go-ahead run, and that was the ball game.
Springer went all eight innings, giving up seven hits, three runs, all earned. She walked one, stuck out three and hit two batters. Best bat for Highland was Kelsey Hora who was 2-3 with a run and two stolen bases.
Highland finishes their season at 32-4, while Iowa City Regina moves on to the state tournament next week.