Highland Bulldogs sports report
Girls Softball
O’Fallon 6, Highland 3
The Highland girls softball team opened the season March 18 with a 6-3 nonconference loss at O’Fallon High School.
O’Fallon took the lead with a run in the third inning and broke the game open with a four-outburst in the fifth inning to take control.
Highland scored three runs in the sixth on a homer by Lily Garbett to cut the lead to 5-3. But the Lady Bulldogs would get no closer after that as O’Fallon pitcher Hayley Juenger struck out nine and walked one to get the win.
Highland 24, Granite City 1
A day after losing a 2-1 extra-inning heartbreaker at Belleville East, the Highland broke into the win column in a big effort at home.
The Lady Bulldogs came out bashing the ball early, exploding for 12 runs in the first and 10 in the second, racing to a 24-1 victory March 21 against Granite City.
Emily Allsman and Lilly Garbett paced the Bulldogs 15-hit onslaught with three hits each. Garbett also scored three runs and drove in four runs.
Jordyn Fields and Nicole Knackstedt were also solid with two hits apiece.
Allsman started in the circle, struck out four and walked one to get the victory in four innings of work.
Girls Soccer
Triad 3, Highland 0
A lack of timely offense hurt the Lady Bulldogs against archrival Triad and the Knights made them pay for it.
Triad got a goal in the first half and added two more goals in the second half to post a 3-0 win in the Mississippi Valley Conference opener for both teams March 19 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Jordyn Besserman, Gina Catanzaro, and Jordan Wilson scored goals for the Knights. Catanzaro added two assists.
Waterloo 4, Highland 1
In a clash of Bulldogs, visting Waterloo scored two goals in the first half and two more in the second half, breezing to a 4-1 win over struggling Highland on March 21.
Payton Richer led Waterloo with a hat trick and Jacey Baum also scored for Waterloo. Highland got a first-half goal from Katie Augustin assisted by Morgan BonDurant.
Boys Tennis
It was a very good day for the Highland boys tennis team March 21, as the Bulldog netters downed Hillsboro 7-2.
Highland was strong in both singles and doubles, winning five of six singles matches and two of three doubles matches.
In the singles flights, Dylan Bargetzi beat Joe Mattson 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1, Sutherland Allen defeated Brayden Bolyard 6-4, 6-0 at No. 2, Connor Barton beat Jacen King 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3, Alex Roach defeated Wilson Hamby, 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5, and Tyler Kutz defeated Dane Huber 6-2, 6-3 at No. 6.
Doubles winners for the Bulldogs were Allen/Barton over Mattson/Bolyard 6-2, 5-7, 10-6 at No. 1 and Roach/Kutz over King/Hartman 6-1, 6-3.
Boys Track
The Highland boys track team had a solid day March 20 at the Mascoutah Quad Meet at Mascoutah High School.
Highland finished second in the four-team meet which featured Jerseyville, Madison, and host Mascoutah.
The Bulldogs tracksters claimed first place in seven different events.