Highlands Briefs: Baseball, softball victorious in district action

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. Highlands senior catcher Kenny Ball waits on a pitch in a recent game.

The winning streak hit three in a row in an important 36th District win Wednesday for the Blue and White.

The Highlands Bluebirds (8-3 overall, 1-0 district) scored six runs in the sixth inning to pull away from the host Bellevue Tigers, 12-5. Highlands beat Bellevue for the district championship last year.

Highlands outhit Bellevue, 16-4. Kenny Ball led Highlands going 3-for-4 with three runs batted in. Jake Whitford went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs batted in and two runs scored and Grayson Heck went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Conner Kreeger also went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, two RBI and three runs scored.

Teammates Todd Ramey and D.J. Mills also had two hits each. They also had one double each. Whitford, Mills and Brady Murray also recorded one stolen base each.

Joseph Martin pitched into the fifth picking up the win and Jacob Noe finished it off. Martin struck out five, walked one and allowed four hits. Noe struck out two, walked one and allowed no hits.

Highlands begins play in the Doc Morris Invitational on Thursday. The Bluebirds travel to Scott for a 6 p.m. game.

Softball:
Highlands 18, Bellevue (3 innings):

The Ladybirds (5-5) also won their 36th District opener. They won the district tournament before winning the 9th Region championship last year.

They continue district play Thursday against Newport. Game time is 5:30 p.m.