This past Friday, the Highlander varsity baseball team took on the Herndon Hornets at home.  The Highlanders were favored coming into the game, boasting an 8-2 record to the Hornets’ 4-5 record.  The game was also McLean’s “Little League Night,” for this season.

Little League Night is a night in which kids who play in McLean Little League get free admission to the game. They also experience a few other perks. The kids lined up on the field next to the players for the national anthem before the game. During the game, when a kid fetched a foul ball, they traded it in for a popsicle at the snack bar. After the game, they were invited back onto the field to run the bases and get autographs from the players.

The game was a tight battle from the beginning. McLean got out to a 2-0 lead which was quickly matched by a two-run homer by Herndon in the top of the third.  Herndon added another run to put the Highlanders down one in the fifth. The Highlanders rallied back and were able to tack on two more runs thanks to a clutch base running by Anthony Farmakides. A walk by Owen Ricketts and poor ball control by the Hornets led to the Highlanders scoring the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, putting them up 4-3. Herndon answered with a run in the top of the seventh to force another half inning. With two outs and a runner on third, Owen Ricketts came to the plate and hit a walk-off single down the left field line.

“It was definitely satisfying to come through in a big spot for the team, especially because conference games mean so much this year,” said Ricketts.

The Highlanders improved their already impressive record to 9-2 and they are now 3-0 in conference play. The Highlanders take on Langley at Langley on Tuesday to continue their conference games this season.