Baseball & Softball Weekly Recap

Articles Credit: KCII

June 25, 2025 – BASEBALL
Shut Out Huskies, Hand Highland First Conference Loss
In a battle of the top two teams in the North Division of Southeast Iowa Superconference baseball Monday, it was the Hillcrest Academy Ravens that took a key 9-0 road win in Riverside over the Highland Huskies Monday. The Ravens controlled the game, scoring in each of the first three frames to build a 5-0 lead, then capped the night on offense with a four run seventh to seal the win. Hillcrest bats were led by Micah Gerber’s two hit night with an RBI. Phoenix Anderson knocked in a pair and Liam Schrock and Lawson Schrock had one RBI each. Mason Bender scored twice in the win. Seth Ours slammed the door on the Huskies at every turn, throwing a two-hit complete game shut out with five strikeouts. Bryce Hazelett and Hunter Seibel had the only two hits for Highland. Colten Sypherd took the loss, working three frames with three hits, two earned runs, three walks and three strikeouts.

Highland remains on top of the division at 5-1 and 8-5 overall. Hillcrest is 7-2 in the league at 8-6 on the year.

June 26, 2025 – BASEBALL
Ravens Collect Season Sweep Over Rival Highland, Take North Division Lead in Area Baseball Game of the Week
The Hillcrest Academy Raven baseball team outlasted rival Highland in an offensive shootout Wednesday afternoon in Kalona by a final of 8-6 in the Area Game of the Week.

The first of 18 total hits between the Huskies and Ravens arrived on the first pitch of the game when Highland senior Logan McFarland launched a deep fly ball to left center field for a standup double. The next three Highland batters would reach before Hillcrest pitcher Rowan Miller settled in and recorded his first strikeout. After one more hit in the frame on a two-RBI double by junior Bryce Hazelett, the Huskies sent the Ravens to the bats for the first time staring at a 4-0 deficit. However, Hillcrest would have the response, sending eight to the plate and scoring their first three runs on four hits to pull back within a run heading into the second. After a blank slate in the second, the Huskies would add on two more in the third, only to see the Ravens plate five and take the lead in the bottom half on five additional hits. Hillcrest and their defense would pitch a shutout in the remaining four frames to hold on for the comeback win.

Unofficially, Hillcrest scored eight runs on nine hits and committed two errors. Highland scored six runs on nine of their own hits and also had two errors. Lincoln Miller and Lawson Schrock led the Ravens with a combined four singles, two runs and four RBI. Miller picked up the win on the mound, spinning the first five frames and allowing all six Highland runs, three earned, on all nine Huskie hits, gave out three walks and had five punchouts. Liam Schrock recorded a save in relief, tallying three Ks in his six outs of work. Schrock joined KCII Sports postgame to talk about his performance down the stretch on the bump.

“I started off good, but then beaned a few obviously and that just kind of set it off bad,” Schrock said. “Thankfully I was able to get a few calls and struck two out in a row to get me out of it.”

Highland was led for the second straight game by sophomore Landon Roling’s three singles, one run and an RBI. McFarland pitched the complete game in six innings, taking the loss and allowing all eight Raven runs, three earned, on all nine of their hits, no walks and two strikeouts.

Hillcrest now sits alone atop the north division of the Southeast Iowa Superconference at 10-6 overall and 9-2 in league play. Meanwhile, Highland now sits alone in second place in the north standings, dropping to 8-7. The Ravens are in action tonight, hosting Burlington Notre Dame, while Highland plays host to the Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union Wolves this evening in a game you can hear live on the KCII3 Stream beginning with pregame coverage at 5 p.m.

June 27, 2025 – BASEBALL & SOFTBALL
Ravens Sweep Tuesday Twin Bill; Girls Win Back and Forth Battle With Columbus, Boys Shut Out WMU
It was a big day on the diamond Tuesday for the Hillcrest Academy Raven baseball and softball teams as they each scored Southeast Iowa Superconference North Division wins. The Raven girls clipped Columbus in a classic 11-10 matchup full of drama. The Wildcats scored once in the top of the first to grab an early advantage, Hillcrest responded with three in the bottom to take the lead. A third inning Wildcat run brought them within 3-2 and the Raven response was a pair in the bottom half to go up 5-2. Columbus got hot in a hurry in the fourth, batting around during a six run rally to take their first lead at 8-5. Hillcrest came back with one in each of the fourth and fifth get back within 8-7. Two Wildcat tallies in the sixth made it 10-7 Columbus. Down to their final six outs, the Ravens rallied for a four spot in the sixth to jump ahead 11-10, then made that single run stand up in the top of the seventh for the win.

The Wildcats out hit the Ravens 11-10. Hillcrest drew five walks and issued two. The Raven attack was led by a three for four night for Delaney Shaw with four RBI, a homer and four runs scored. Malia Yoder knocked in three on two hits and scored three times. Morgyn Nafziger and Erin Bontrager each had two hits, Ella Mize had an RBI. Yoder went the distance in the win giving up 11 hits, three earned runs, two walks and two strike outs. On the Columbus side of the book, Kennedy Woepking went three for four with four RBI, a homer and a run scored. Lily Coil also drove in four on a pair of hits and two runs scored. Ellie Sanders and Daniela Diaz had two hits each, Diaz an RBI with three runs scored. Woepking worked four innings with six hits, four earned runs, two walks and three strikeouts. The Ravens were 10-10 after the win, Columbus 10-9 after the loss.

In baseball, the Ravens used a combo of strong pitching and defense and enough offense to put away Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus 4-0. The Ravens scored twice each in the first and third innings and made that stand up the rest of the night. Phoenix Anderson tossed a complete game, one-hit shut out to secure the win, striking out four. The Raven bats were led by two hits each for Rowan Miller, Mason Bender and Mason Helmuth. Helmuth had the lone RBI. Seth Ours, Bender, Helmuth and Lawson Schrock each scored once. The Wolves lone hit came from Kohlby Newsom. Trevor Philips and Carter Finnell combined on six innings from the mound with six hits, one earned run, five walks and eight strikeouts. The win moved the Ravens to 9-6 on the year as WMU dropped to 4-11.

June 28, 2025 – SOFTBALL
Lady Lions Down Ravens to Win Ninth in a Row on KCII
The Lone Tree softball team made quick work of conference rival Hillcrest Academy Friday night in a 11-1 final for their ninth-straight victory after just four innings in a special edition of the KCII Area Game of the Week heard live on KCII.

Hillcrest would score the game’s first run when senior Delaney Shaw came across on an RBI single from eighth-grader Ella Mize. When Mize was caught stealing second base moments later, Lone Tree would make the Ravens pay even more, plating their first five runs in the bottom half on a wild pitch from Hillcrest pitcher Malia Yoder and a pair of two-RBI doubles from Abby Zaruba and Kayleigh Rundlett. Lone Tree would extend their lead by one run in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from Alex Dautremont to make the contest 6-1. The Ravens were again held scoreless by a flawless Lone Tree defense in the third, falling victim to a Lion three-spot in the bottom half to see the lead grow once again. After Hillcrest was held without a run for the third consecutive inning in the fourth, the Lady Lions would end the game via the mercy rule in the bottom half when senior Cate Sexton poked a ground ball to left field to plate teammate Rundlett and end the night early.

Unofficially, Lone Tree took the contest with 11 runs on 11 hits and no errors. Hillcrest had one run on three hits and two errors. Rundlett led the way for the Lady Lions, going 3/3 with a single, two doubles, three runs batted in and two runs scored, earning Washington County Hospital and Clinics Player of the Game honors. Dautremont picked up the win in the circle, tossing all four innings and allowing the Ravens’ lone earned run on all three hits, doled out one walk and spun four punchouts. The senior joined KCII Sports postgame to go over her hitting performance.

“I was definitely thinking just get something to the outfield, hard contact,” Dautremont said. “We knew Malia [Yoder] was going to throw a lot of strikes to us, so we really have got to attack when we’re ahead. I’ve been trying to hit more line drive ground balls, and that’s really been working for me lately.”

Hillcrest was led by Mize with her RBI single in the first frame. Yoder took the loss in the circle, going three-and-two-thirds innings, allowing all 11 Lone Tree runs, nine earned, on all 11 of their hits, with a pair of walks and Ks.

With the win, the Lady Lions improve to 15-6 overall and move to 9-4 in the Superconference North ahead of a Monday matchup with the New London/Winfield-Mt. Union Tigers. Hillcrest drops to 10-13 overall before a Monday game on the road against Class 3A opponent West Burlington-Notre Dame. The Area Game of the Week makes a return to the baseball diamond Monday, following Hillcrest Academy to West Burlington for their matchup with the Falcons. Pregame is slated for 5 p.m. on the KCII3 Stream.

June 28, 2025 – BASEBALL
Nikes Rally Past Ravens Thursday
The Hillcrest Academy Raven baseball team was caught late in Kalona by the visitors from Burlington Notre Dame Thursday in a 10-5 Southeast Iowa Superconference crossover loss. Notre Dame scored once in the first, but the Ravens took momentum right back with four runs in the bottom half. They would stay on top 4-1 until the seventh when the Nikes plated four to take a 5-4 advantage. Down to their final three outs, it was the Raven’s turn to rally. Hillcrest scratched across one to send the game to extras. In the eighth, Notre Dame stayed hot, scoring five and the Ravens couldn’t match the out put.

Hillcrest finished with seven total hits including two doubles and drew five walks. Rowan Miller had three hits, an RBI, stole two bases and scored a run. Liam Schrock had a two hit night with an RBI and a run, Micah Gerber had two hits and a run, Lawson Schrock added an RBI. Lawson Schrock was an ironman on the mound, working seven and two thirds with seven hits, nine earned runs and five walks. Hillcrest is 10-7 after the loss as Notre Dame improves to 12-8.

June 30, 2025 – SOFTBALL
Raven Softball Sunk by Crusaders  
The Hillcrest Academy Raven softball team was on the wrong end of a 10-1 score in five innings, in a Southeast Iowa Superconference crossover contest against Holy Trinty Catholic Thursday at the Plaster Athletic Complex at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids. The Ravens were out hit 10-3 in the game and drew five walks while issuing three. Morgyn Nafziger, Delaney Shaw and Stavia Miller each had a hit. Malia Yoder had the lone RBI and Miller scored the only run. Yoder worked all five frames in the circle with 10 hits, nine earned runs, three walks and three strikeouts. Hillcrest is now 10-12 while the Crusaders rise to 15-7.