#1 Highlanders top North Central

The top-ranked McLennan Highlanders defeated the North Central Lions 8-6 on the opening day of the Region V North Tournament on the campus of Grayson College in Denison. Taryn Batterton went the complete game in the circle to pick up the win.
 
The Highlanders scored one in the first. Taylor Meier and Madison Garcia both singled. Meier then scored on a fly out by Trinity Allen.
 
North Central took the lead with two runs in the second. Alyssa Mendez walked and Payton Blanco singled. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Megan Baldwin and scored on a single by Mickyna Lindsey
 
McLennan responded with three runs  int the bottom of the inning. Madison Hornback walked and Chesnee Faile singled, both scoring on a single by Mickayla Tosch. Tosch advanced to third on an error and scored on a ground out by Taylor Meier.
 
The Highlanders added two runs in the third. Hornback and Faile both singled. Tosch then reached on an error, scoring Hornback and Faile.
 
The Lions tied the game with four runs in the top of the seventh. Lauren Moon and Blanco both singled. Baldwin also singled, and pinch runner Nayani Brown scored on an error. Taryn Martin singled to score Blanco, and Baldwin scored on an error. Malone then singled to score Martin.
 
McLennan sealed the win with a walk-off home run in the seventh. Katia Reyes walkd and Hornback followed with a two-run homer.
 
#1 McLennan 8, North Central 6
North Central 020 000 4 – 6 8 2
McLennan 132 000 2 – 8 10 2
Annie Allgood, Kennedy Schroeder (3) and Lauren Moon. Taryn Batterton and Kyla Heine. WP: Batterton; LP: Schroeder. Leading hitters – North Central: Kenney Malone (1-4, RBI), Mickyna Lindsey (1-3, 2 RBI) and Taryn Martin (1-3, RBI); McLennan: Taylor Meier (1-4, RBI), Madison Garcia (2-4, 3B), Madison Hornback (3-3, HR, 2 RBI), Trinity Allen (0-3, RBI) and Mickayla Tosch (1-3, 4 RBI). Record: McLennan 55-2 (31-1)