A top ten showdown in the Class 2A ranks lived up to its billing Friday evening. As heard on FM 106.1 and KCIIRadio.com, the No. 3 Highland Huskies (23-6) battled the No. 8 Durant Wildcats (26-8 overall) in a Class 2A Region 5 semifinal game. Durant scored the game winning on a sacrifice bunt, walking off with a 2-1 victory over Highland

Highland’s Katie Springer and Durant’s Jasmine Lawson were locked in a pitching battle throughout the night, keeping a scoreless tie through the first six innings. A lead off fielding error helped Durant’s Shannon Telrow get on base in the bottom of the sixth inning. She scored on a fielders choice by Courtney Ralfs later in the inning, pushing the score to 1-0.

Down to her final strike in the top of the seventh inning, Highland senior Courtney Hahn extended the season on a solo home run to right centerfield, tying the game 1-1. In the bottom of the seventh, Durant’s Ruby Kappler led off the inning with a double and an infield single by Hannah Happ advanced the Wildcat centerfielder to third base. A suicide squeeze by Aubrey Werthmann scored Kappler from third, advancing the Wildcats into the regional championship game 2-1. A suicide squeeze is when the batter lays down a bunt as a runner at third comes to home plate to score.

Highland softball coach Carrie Weiland says she got beat at her own game, “We do those things and we got it done to us,” Weiland said, “Obviously the errors hurt us, they didn’t have any on their side. It is just a tough loss and its a good way to beat me because we didn’t know what to do with the ball.”

The loss ends Highland’s softball season at 23-6 overall, falling one game short of a return trip to the state tournament.