Highland County Public Schools

MONTEREY — Addie Lockridge squared it up. But Highland shortstop Peyton Neil was there to make the play.

With the tying run on second in the top of the seventh, Neil turned Lockridge’s bullet into a game-ending double play, preserving the Rams’ 6-4 victory over Bath County in the Pioneer District softball opener for both teams last Thursday.

It was a history-making day of sorts for both programs, which are playing at the varsity level this spring for the first time in years.

For the Chargers, it was their first district game since 2019. For Highland, how about 2012?

“Very exciting,” said Ram Sarah Liller, who struck out seven and walked four in pitching the complete-game victory. “I’m so excited to get to play varsity this year and get to win our first district game too.”

Highland built a 5-0 lead through two innings and held on late.

Amelia Good stroked an RBI double in the first and drove in two more with a single through the middle an inning later, while Neil added an RBI base hit in the second.

After Trinity Forbes put Bath County on the board by scoring Makenna Randozzo in the top of the third, Makynley Smith answered by walking to lead off the bottom of the inning for the Rams, moving up to second on a fielder’s choice, stealing third and scoring on a throwing error for a 6-1 lead.

“We dug a hole early — that was a little too much to give,” said BCHS coach Charlie Padgett. “But we settled down. I think a couple were trying to hit the ball deep on a windy day and it was not working, and we chased some stuff we didn’t need to chase. But after that, we settled down.”

With Charger Cassidee Nicely shutting down the Highland offense over its final three at-bats, the visitors chipped away at the Ram lead.

Kennedi Pritt and Shiann Chaplin both scored in the fourth, taking advantage of an error and a walk, and Pritt cut the deficit to 6-4, scoring Alyssa Ingram with an RBI single to left in the fifth.

Still down two with one out in the seventh, Ingram walked and both Forbes and Nicely legged out infield hits to load the bases.

But Neil speared the Lockridge line drive to end the game.

“I told Addie please whatever you do, hit a line drive, something hot, knock somebody down, go with the pitch,” said Padgett. “She blistered it. Two runs would have scored easy.”

Forbes had three hits and drove in two to lead Bath, while Nicely, Bailey Wolfe and Ingram had one hit apiece.

Nicely pitched the complete game for the Chargers, allowing only five hits, while striking out five and walking two.

“Cassidee settled down and got some strikeouts and our shortstop (Chaplin) played well,” Padgett said. “We made some plays we haven’t made before. Macie Kirby in left field — she’s never even played softball before. That made my day when she caught that fly ball.”

Good’s two-hit, three-RBI day led the Rams; Neil also had two knocks and drove in one and Brooklyn Bussard added one hit.

Colleen Adams, behind the plate, Bussard in center, and Neil at short came up huge defensively for the winners. “The defense was excellent tonight to give up just four runs and come up huge there at the end,” said Highland coach Jeff Wood. “Our pitching was awesome. Sarah has pitched for me for four years and I think she played some travel ball when she was younger. She’s got a lot of pitching experience, and she was really solid tonight. Super proud, first varsity win, 1-0 in the district. Just really happy.”

Liller, now classified as a senior after skipping her junior year of high school, will go to Bridgewater College in the fall.

She will remember that first varsity softball win for a long time.

“We started off really strong, but I was getting a little nervous there at the end,” Liller said. “Our defense definitely came back and helped us out. Peyton saved the day, catching that line drive.”

Last Thursday’s linescore
Bath County 001 210 0 – 4 6 4
Highland 321 000 x – 6 5 3
WP: Sarah Liller (1-2); LP: Cassidee
Nicely (1-2)