Softball Bulldogs drop chance at share of MVC title with loss to Triad

A perfectly placed drive to right-center field off the bat of Triad’s Jenna Bohnenstiehl in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday eliminated Highland from sharing a piece of this year’s Mississippi Valley Conference Title with its Route 40 rivals.

After having fallen to Triad at home on May 9, the Bulldogs needed a road victory over the Knights in order to force a tie atop the MVC. But with the victory, Triad finished as the outright champs with a 9-1 mark. Highland finished 7-3 in MVC play.

The slicing fly ball fell just in front of the fence between the outstretched arms of both Highland center fielder Hannah Sullens and right fielder Nicole Knackstedt. Bohnenstiehl (.344) was awarded a triple on the play, with an error charged to Sullens that would allow Bohnenstiehl to scamper home for a 4-3 Triad victory.

Up until the bottom of the seventh inning, HHS pitcher Addison Rinderer had been cruising. Rinderer had made only one bad pitch in the first six frames, which resulted in a solo blast over the fence off the bat of Isabelle Lehan (.328).

Highland was up 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, but Triad began the inning with back-to-back singles from Payton Bode (.443) and Kailey Daniel (.397).

With no outs, Daniel was thrown out trying to steal second by HHS catcher Lauren Bauer. Bode held third on the play.

A sacrifice fly off the bat off Dallas Zirkelbach then plated Bode to cut the Highland lead to 3-2. But the bases were now empty with two away.

Lehan would deliver, however. Planting a Rinderer pitch over the outfield fence for her second home run of the game and just her third of the season.

Highland third baseman Sydney Parkerson then made a dandy play on a hard-hit grounder to rob Triad first baseman Bailey Frank (.311) of a hit and retire the side.

Highland made some noise in its half of the eighth. Sullens and Lily Garbett both hit balls that backed Triad outfielders up to the fence, but the park held them, setting up Bohnenstiehl for her heroics in the bottom of the inning.

Liz Young pitched the entire game for Triad to earn the win. Only two of the three runs against her were earned. She allowed seven hits, but did not walk a batter. She also struck out six.

Others getting hits for Triad included Frank and Zirkelbach, both singles.

For Highland, Rinderer (8-2) pitched a complete game, allowing the four runs on seven hits. She did not walk a batter.

At the plate for HHS, Kourtney Zobrist had a double and scored a run, Sullens had a single, Garbett had a double and scored a run, Baer had two single sand scored once, and Taylor Flemming had a single.

Edwardsville 3, HHS 2

A two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh inning propelled Edwardsville to a road victory over Highland on May 8.

Anna Burke doubled off Highland reliever Sam Miener to score Emma Lewis (single) all the way from first base to put the Tigers on top 3-2 in the final frame.

Meghan Gorniak, in relief starter Jordyn Henricks, slammed the door in the bottom of the seventh to give Edwardsville coach Lori Blade the 700th win of her career. Already crowed the Southwestern Conference champions, the win put the Tigers’ season mark at 17-3.

Edwardsville jumped on top with a run in the first inning and added another in the fourth, but Highland tied the game in the fifth, scoring two runs off three walks, two Tiger errors and a wild pitch.

Rinderer started the game in circle for HHS, allowing two runs on five hits. She also struck out two and walked two.

This story was originally published May 21, 2018 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Softball Bulldogs drop chance at share of MVC title with loss to Triad."