Scottie baseball improved to 10-8 on the year and 3-3 in conference after splitting with Neosho County on Thursday afternoon at Highland Community Ball Park.
 
GAME 1:
Game one saw the Scotties jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Josh Grubaugh hit a three-run homer over the right field fence. Highland would score another in the second inning with a Wyatt Nowack RBI single giving them the 4-0 lead over the Panthers.
 
The Panthers answered back scoring five runs in the third, two in the fourth and eight runs in the fifth while holding the Scotties scoreless and winning the game in five innings, 15-4.
 
Josh Grubaugh led in batting going 2-3 with three RBI's. Wyatt Nowack went 1-2 with an RBI and a walk. Jose Acosta was credited with the loss.
 
GAME 2:
Neosho drew first blood in the Top of the first inning scoring on an error to take a 1-0 lead over the Scotties. Highland responded scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning. Jake Hanson doubled to center scoring Mitchell Austin and moving Wyatt Nowack to third. Josh Grubaugh got RBI number four on the day with a single to shortstop that scored Nowack and Hanson reached home on a throwing error by the short stop. Highland led 3-1 after the first.
 
A Keishon Brown single to left field scored Bradey Miller in the second inning, Highland led 4-1 after two.
 
Neosho got back on the board in the top of the third after a Nolan Beets double that scored two Panthers. Again, Highland responded scoring two of the own. Mitchell Austin and Wyatt Nowack were both walked to start the inning. A wild pitch would move the runners to second and third. Jake Hanson grounded out to second base scoring Austin from third and moving Nowack around to third. Josh Grubaugh ground out to the short stop and scored Nowack, Grubaugh's fifth RBI of the day. Highland extended their lead 6-3 after three innings.
 
A scoreless fourth was followed up by two big innings by the Panthers. Neosho scored three in the fifth and five in the sixth and gave up one run the Highland in those two innings. Neosho took back a four-run, 11-7 lead.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Highland would cut the lead to just one-run. Bradey Miller started the inning off with a single to center followed by an Adam Miner single to left. Mitchell Austin would score Miller hitting an RBI single to left field and advance Miner to second. Wyatt Nowack hit a long triple down the left field line scoring Austin and Miner to come within one-run at the end of the eighth inning.
 
Stachys McLoud came in as the closer for Highland and he got it done. McLoud gave up three hits, no runs and struck out two. His biggest pitch of the inning being the strike three call on Cooper Minnick getting the third out of the inning and stranding three Panther base runners.
 
Highland headed into the final half inning trailing by one. Josh Grubaugh got things started with a leadoff single to left, Dungan came in to pinch run. Mason Nagle followed that up with another single moving Dungan to second. Bradey Miller came to the plate and again, hit a single at the pitcher and ran out the play and was safe at first, bases loaded no outs.
 
A wild pitch would score Dungan from third and move Nagle and Miller up a base. Cole Hijaz struck out swinging and the Panthers intentionally walked Adam Miner, loading the bases. That would bring leadoff batter Keishon Brown to the plate, bases loaded, one out with the game tied 11-11.
 
Keishon Brown swung at the first pitch and hit a walk off single to short left field scoring Nagle and winning the game for Highland 12-11.
 
Starting pitcher Cody Rottinghaus had a day pitching five innings giving up four hits, six runs and struck out nine batters. Brown, Nowack, Hanson and Grubaugh all finished with two RBI's each in the game while Austin and Miller both had one.
 
Highland improved to 10-8 on the year and will take on Neosho down in Chanute on Sunday, March 12 at 1:00pm & 3:00pm.