The top-ranked McLennan Highlanders remain perfect with a pair of wins over the North Central Lions.
Game one was a 16-6 five-inning run-rule victory for the Highlanders with Makenzi Jenkins picking up the win.
The Highlanders scored three runs in the first inning. Taylor Meier singled and Trinity Allen walked. Katia Reyes doubled to score both runners, and Madison Hornback doubled to score Reyes.
North Central put two runs on the board in the second. Alyssa Mendez and Lauren Moon both walked and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Megan Baldwin. Mendez scored on a sacrifice bunt by Riley Ferguson, and Moon scored on a single by Raylea Parsons.
McLennan responded with four runs in the third. Mickayla Tosch was hit by the pitch and scored on Allen's home run. Kyla Heine singled but was caught stealing. Reyes followed with a solo home run. Hornback singled and Chesnee Faile doubled. Hornback then scored on a ground out by Madison Garcia.
The Highlanders tacked on five runs in the fourth. Meier reached safely and advanced around to third on an error. Tosch singled to score Meier. An Allen ground out moved Tosch to second. Heine singled to score Tosch. Reyes singled and Faile reached on an error, scoring Heine. Garcia then doubled to score Reyes and Faile.
Four more McLennan runs scored in the fifth. Tosch tripled and scored on a single by Allen. Reyes walked and Hornback singled, loading the bases. Faile then tripled to score all three runners.
North Central rounded out the scoring with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Parsons and Kyle Malone both doubled, and Taryn Martin was safe on a dropped third strike. Annie Allgood doubled to score all three runners. Mendez also reached safely on a dropped third strike, allowing pinch runner Nayani Brown to score.
McLennan took game two 7-3 with Reyes in the circle.
The Lions scored first with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Mendez singled and scored on a double by Allgood.
The Highlanders tied the game with a run in the top of the second. Garcia and Elie Loveless both singled. Lilly Rocha followed with a fielder's choice, putting Garcia out at third. Loveless then scored on an error.
McLennan took the lead with a run in the fourth. Faile singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rocha then doubled to score Faile.
Rocha's solo home run made it a 3-1 Highlander lead in the fifth.
North Central added a run in the bottom of the fifth. Martin reached safely and advanced around to third on an error. Martin then scored on a sac fly by Brown.
McLennan scored four runs in the sixth. Garcia tripled and scored on another Rocha home run. Meier then singled and scored on another Allen homer.
The Lions final run came in the bottom of the inning. Malone and Mendez both singled, and Malone scored on a wild pitch.
McLennan 16, North Central 6
McLennan 304 54 – 16 17 0
North Central 020 04 – 6 5 2
Brinly Maples, Makenzi Jenkins (2) and Kyla Heine. Raylea Parsons, Kennedy Schroeder (3) and Lauren Moon. WP: Jenkins; LP: Parsons. Leading hitters – McLennan: Mickayla Tosch (2-3, 3B, RBI), Trinity Allen (2-3, HR, 3 RBI), Kyla Heine (2-4, RBI), Katia Reyes (3-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Madison Hornback (3-4, 2B, RBI), Chesnee Faile (2-4, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI), Madison Garcia (1-3, 2B, 3 RBI) and Ellie Loveless (1-3, 2B); North Central: Raylea Parsons (2-3, 2B, RBI), Kylie Malone (1-2, RBI), Annie Allgood (1-2, 2B, 3 RBI), Alyssa Mendez (1-2, RBI) and Riley Ferguson (0-1, RBI). Record: McLennan 31-0 (9-0).
McLennan 7, North Central 3
McLennan 010 114 0 – 7 11 1
North Central 100 011 0 – 3 5 1
Katia Reyes and Chesnee Faile. Kacey White and Annie Allgood. WP: Reyes; LP: White. Leading hitters – McLennan: Taylor Meier (2-3), Trinity Allen (3-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Madison Garcia (2-4, 3B) and Lilly Rocha (2-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI); North Central: Kylie Malone (2-3), Alyssa Mendez (2-3), Annie Allgood (1-3, 2B, RBI) and Nayani Brown (0-3, RBI). Record: McLennan 32-0 (10-0).
