DANVILLE – Highland’s softball team has personality, and they’ve got each other’s backs.
“I just feel like, on or off the field, we are a family,” Highland third baseman Haven Farson said. “We support each other in good times and bad times. We have a lot of inside jokes that we get with each other. So we use those when we are at low points in the game, or just in life in general.”
At 17-3 overall, the Scots are 8-3 in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference, second only to undefeated Cardington-Lincoln. They find that laughter is helping them to get there and stay there.
“We all have inside jokes to tell to our side of the field,” Scots’ shortstop Audrey Robinson said. “It helps to keep them going. If someone in the outfield makes a mistake, we’ve got our inside jokes going. The main thing is that we’re constantly communicating — on the field and off the field.”
Along with all the fun the Scots are having is a good-luck mascot named Bert the Beaver; a small, stuffed animal that the Scots accidentally left at home when they visited Danville on Wednesday, April 28. Highland found themselves trailing 3-0 after the first inning, and it was no joking matter.
It turned out, however, that the Scots didn’t need the services of Bert the Beaver. They came back with a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings to defeat the young Blue Devils 4-3 in their KMAC showdown.
Highland pitcher Stevie Asher went seven innings and allowed five hits, three runs, five strikeouts and two walks. She yielded only two hits over the final six innings.
The Scots got a fourth-inning triple from Faith Geiger — who went one-for-four with a run and an RBI overall — and another triple in the fifth from Savannah Fitzpatrick (two-for-four).
Guinevere Jackson (one-for-four) and Robinson (one-for-three plus a walk) each had an RBI for the Scots. Robinson’s RBI single came in the fifth inning, scoring Jackson with what proved to be the game-winning run. Farson reached on an error, stole a base and scored.
“We just have a lot of trust in each other,” Farson said. “I feel like even if someone strikes out, someone else will pick us up. We just keep on going, even if we have a bad inning. One of our inside jokes is that we’re a third- or fourth-inning team. Even if we don’t do well in the first- or second inning, we always tell our coaches, ‘We’re a fourth-inning team.’”
Robinson concurred with her fellow jokester.
“If we come out strong in the first inning, you better look out,” Robinson said. “Something’s not right with us.”
Farson’s inside-joke of the day, in the form of a tried-and-true riddle, was directed toward left fielder Geiger.
“I said, ‘What does a snowman do with his money?’” Farson said. “I don’t even know the answer to it. Faith knows it. I just ask her the question.”
Robinson didn’t know the answer to that question either; but now she can just yell “snowman” at some of her team’s outfielders and get a laugh.
Danville (13-6, 6-5) pitcher Maddy Wine went seven innings and allowed seven hits and three earned runs. She added an RBI single in Wednesday’s game. Teammate Emily Weckesser went one-for-three with an RBI. Taryn Mickley singled and scored on a wild pitch, and Keaura Schilling walked twice and scored.
“We came out with that fire that I thought we needed to,” Danville coach Charlie Duncan said. “But with a team like that, you’ve got to keep pounding. You can’t let up.”
For Highland coach Shelly Hornsby, it’s all good as long as the Scots keep winning.
“We let some things bother us the first couple of innings,” she said. “They knew they had to recover from that. This team has always been a close team, and they seem to be able to work through those problems. Sometimes it takes longer than others, but tonight they got it in the fourth inning and started moving forward.”
