By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Wednesday night wasn't a memorable night for the Highland Park softball team, with the Scots taking an 18-0 loss in Game 1 and dropping the second contest, 20-1, in a doubleheader against former Centennial League foe Emporia.
But the move from the Centennial League to the Meadowlark Conference has been an overwhelmingly good transition for the Scots.
Highland Park has earned a few blowout wins in its new conference, giving a young and inexperienced Scot team confidence on the field.
A team that has a limited amount of softball playing experience presents its challenges. But with Highland Park earning some wins in the 2023 campaign, the team hopes that the victories will help build on the players' skills.
"It's been a rocky road this year," Highland Park coach Bill Nicholson said. "I think the more we play, the more it will help the experience for them. We have seen some great things, and I think they get more confidence with every at-bat. That's just what it's going to take. We need to keep working hard, and great things will happen."
Highland Park has taken steps forward in its rebuilding progress. Last year, the Scots were finding small victories within their discipline and technique, while this year, some of those fundamental steps taken in the previous year have translated into wins.
The team wasn't quite settled in, with most of the team playing less than three years of softball in their lives at the start of the season a year ago, and now the Scots' are having fun while being comfortable in the field.
"The best thing I've seen is that we are more comfortable just playing the game," Nicholson said. "We turned a double play tonight, and we haven't done that in a minute. They're more confident making a play after making one before. The awareness for them is starting to click. They're learning this game and doing a good job of doing that."
In Wednesday night's game, Emporia jumped out to monstrous leads in the beginning innings in both games to ride out sizeable victories against Highland Park.
The Spartans faired well with extra-base hits and drawing walks. Emporia drew 15 total walks in both contests while hitting nine doubles, three triples and a home run in both games of the twinbill.
While Highland Park was shutout in game one, they got a run on the board in game two from an RBI single from M. Cadet.
Highland Park will hope to bounce back from its non-league losses when they host another non-league contest at Hummer Sports Park against Wichita South.
"I want them to understand that if we keep fighting, keep working on fixing the small errors that we've made and keep getting better every day, we will become a better team," Nicholson said. "I truly believe we've improved a lot since the beginning. So if they keep fighting, we will be a better team at the end of the season."
GAME ONE
EMPORIA 18, HIGHLAND PARK 0
Emporia 6(12)0 – 18 8 0
Highland Park 000 – 0 1 5
2B – Emporia: Ginter 2, Sewell, Williams.
GAME TWO
EMPORIA 20, HIGHLAND PARK 1
Emporia 992 – 20 20 0
Highland Park 100 – 1 2 6
2B – Emporia: Howe, Anno, Reimer, Sewell, Williams. 3B – Emporia: Ginter, Reimer, Sewell. HR – Emporia: Ultreras.
