Friday Highlands Sports Results

Bluebird Baseball Moves to 2-0 in 36th District Play

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. Highlands junior Cooper Schwalbach connects for a home run against Bellevue on Friday.

The Highlands Bluebirds baseball team has not lost to a 36th District opponent since 2012.

The Bluebirds (13-6 overall, 2-0 district) took another step toward a top seed in the district tournament with a five-inning 12-0 win over the Bellevue Tigers (2-11, 0-2) on Friday at Highland Park. Highlands has won six consecutive district championships.

Highlands outhit Bellevue, 12-1. The Bluebirds scored five runs in the first then added seven in the second off Tiger pitcher sophomore Garrett Glancy. Glancy walked one and allowed nine earned runs.

Highlands senior Hunter Dreves threw the first four innings to record the win striking out 10, walking one and allowing just one hit. Senior Grant Summers pitched the fifth inning in relief striking out two.

Junior Kyle Winkler led Highlands going 2-for-2 with a double, run batted in and two runs scored. Sophomore Ethan Kavanagh and senior Sam Hennigan both went 2-for-3 with one run scored each. Kavanagh tripled and Hennigan had an RBI. Junior Cooper Schwalbach hit a two-run home run with senior Joe Steiden, Dreves and junior Chris Bridewell doubling. Bridewell drove in three and Steiden scored twice and stole a base. Juniors Casey Greene and Trey Gabbard also scored twice and senior Carson Fitters stole a base.

"(Highlands Head) Coach (Jeremy Baioni) always tells us to do our best," Gabbard said. "It doesn't matter who your opponent is. Just go out and play your hardest. Don't give up."

Highlands plays host to Beechwood on Monday. Game time is 5 p.m.

Softball:
Ashland Blazer 15, Highlands 7:

The Bluebirds fell to 8-4 with a non-region loss at Veterans Memorial Park.

Highlands led 4-3 going into the fifth inning. But the Kittens (9-8) scored 10 runs on two outs to go up 13-4. Every player minus pitcher Halie Haney had at least one hit and one run batted in. Haney allowed five earned runs, walked three and struck out nine. Seventh grader Kennedy Baioni took the loss for the Bluebirds.

Both teams had one fielding error each. But Ashland did not score any unearned runs off the one Highlands error.

Ashland out-hit Highlands, 18-12. Senior Abby Stambaugh led the Kittens with four hits including a double and four RBI. Freshman Lauren Spears homered and drove in two on three hits and senior Katelyn Ferguson had three hits and an RBI. Junior Mykayka Akers and junior Maddy Greene added two hits each for Ashland.

Senior Rachel Gabbard and eighth grader Addie Mack had three hits each including a double and RBI to lead Highlands. Senior Ella Grimm and sophomore Taylar Lorenzen had two RBI each.

Highlands plays twice in the John Sosby Memorial Classic in Paris on Saturday. The Bluebirds face Franklin County at 5:30 p.m. and host Bourbon County at 7:15 p.m.