Highland softball team’s state tournament run gets stopped in Class 3A super-sectional

Over seven straight games from mid-May into the 2022 postseason, the Highland Lady Bulldogs softball team had recaptured the magic of last year’s IHSA Class 3A state championship season.

On Monday, June 6, however, a talented and poised Mahomet-Seymour club extinguished the Lady Bulldogs’ drive for a second consecutive state crown.

Mahomet-Seymour scored two runs in the third inning, added two more in the sixth, and held HHS to one late run while posting a 4-1 victory in the super-sectional round at Millikin University in Decatur.

Highland was resourceful at the plate all season long but against Mahomet-Seymour ace Karley Yergler, the Lady Bulldogs had no answers as Yergler struck out 13 hitters and allowed just four hits.

“The pitcher for Mahomet-Seymour, she was the real deal,” Highland coach Glen Nicholls said. “If we could have put the ball in play, we could have made some hay, but she was the real deal.”

Yergler and Highland’s Sophia Donoho traded zeros the first two innings and then in the top of the third, Mahomet-Seymour got to Donoho.

Yergler, in fact, helped her own cause, cranking a two-run homer for a 2-0 Mahomet-Seymour lead.

“The fence in leftcenter was 215 feet and she hit it probably 240 feet,” Nicholls said. “She just crushed a rise ball that was inside on her.”

HHS had its best scoring threat of the day in the bottom of the third, getting runners on first and second with no outs as Abby Schultz and Maci Miles reached base. That chance was short-lived, however, as Yergler, who entered the super-sectional with 160 strikeouts on the season, pitched out of the jam.

“We stranded a couple of runners there and didn’t really do anything after that,” Nicholls said.

Mahomet adds insurance, holds off late Highland charge

Mahomet-Seymour tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth to go up 4-0.

Highland finally got a mini-rally in the bottom of the seventh. Maggie Grohmann lead off with a double and then, with one out, Emma Strubinger doubled to left to bring Grohmann home, cutting the gap to 4-1.

Once again, Yergler went to work and stopped the Lady Bulldogs to end their playoff run and hopes of another state tournament trip.

HHS coach pleased with season

Nicholls and Highland were disappointed with the super-sectional loss. However, overall, Nicholls was happy to see this group get deep into the Class 3A postseason.

“It was a good season and the girls played real well the other day beating Marion to get to the super-sectionals ... and I didn’t really see a super-sectional team when the season started,” Nicholls said. “I know we were defending champs, but we had lost our starting shortstop (Syd Parkerson) and our starting pitcher (Sam Miener) coming into this year.

“And, at one point of the season, we were 5-8, but the girls really turned it around going 22-10 and winning the Mississippi Valley Conference.”

Donoho held Mahomet-Seymour to six hits and took the loss for HHS. She ended her sophomore season with a 17-8 record.

Highland won seven of its final nine games this spring to finish the season at 22-10.

This story was originally published June 10, 2022 at 11:02 AM.