It's becoming a common thing for the Highland softball team that is making the National tournament as they returned this year to the NJCAA Division II softball National Championships for the fifth straight season.

Highland wrapped up their season on Thursday at the National tournament going 1-2 in tournament action to finish off the 2014 season 41-11 under Head Coach, Heidi Jordan.

Scotties started up competition on Wednesday but saw their game delayed because weather and then finally started first round action Wednesday night against Oakland out of Michigan, but again Mother Nature played a factor suspended the game in the top of the fourth with Oakland leading 1-0 at that point. The game resumed early Thursday morning and Oakland added three runs in the top of the fifth to take the 4-0 lead over Highland. The Scotties answered quickly in the bottom half of the frame putting together a six run frame paced by Holly Wilmarth's grand slam homerun in the inning. Highland added two more runs in the sixth and went on to win 8-4 in the opening round.

With the win Highland continued in the winner's bracket and faced off against Des Moines CC later Thursday and the two teams battled it out in a tight contest that saw the Scotties force extra innings only to fall 5-4 in eight innings. Des Moines took the early 1-0 lead but Highland tied the game with a run in the fourth and then both teams scored twice in the fifth. Scotties fell behind again in the sixth when Des Moines plated a run to gain the 4-3 lead. Down to the final three outs of the game Highland had runners at third and second with one-out and had a sacrifice fly to tie the game but couldn't score anymore, meaning the game needed extra innings to decide the winner. In the top of the eighth Des Moines plated another run and took the 5-4 lead and held on for the win.

The lost meant Highland continued to play on Thursday looking to stay alive in an elimination game in the loser's bracket of the National tournament. Black Hawk College was the draw for the Scotties and the two teams were locked in a battle on the field, in a game that featured minimal offense as the teams combined for seven hits. Highland was only able to register three hits in the game, while Black Hawk posted four enough to get them one run and the 1-0 victory, ending the Scotties season.