Baseball & Softball Weekly Recap
Article Credit: KCII
July 1, 2025 – BASEBALL
Bender Bomb and Helmuth Homer Propel Ravens Past Falcons
The Southeast Iowa Superconference North Division Champion Hillcrest Academy Ravens (12-7, 11-2) continued their hot streak Monday night, routing the West Burlington Falcons (8-10, 3-9) 17-6.
The game looked like a pitchers’ duel in the making early on, as starters Silas Lotzow West Burlington and Rowan Miller for Hillcrest each started the game by shoving three scoreless innings, including three hitless innings for Lotzow.
In the top of the fourth, though, Hillcrest blew the game open.
Eight of the Raven’s nine hitters reached base in the inning, as Hillcrest passed the baton from one batter to another. The inning reached its highest point when Miller hit a bases-clearing double to give Hillcrest a 4-0 lead. After a Seth Ours single on the very next pitch and a pickoff that scored him before the Falcons were able to catch Mason Bender in a rundown, the Ravens led by half a dozen.
The downpour continued in the fifth, as four walks and a dropped third strike led Bender back to the plate with the bases loaded once again. Relief pitcher Brock Thuleen, who had been struggling to find the zone, was replaced by Prior Bowen. Bender didn’t hesitate to welcome Bowen to the mound, launching the first ball he swung at over the left-field fence for a grand slam and a 13-0 lead.
Hillcrest struggled to close the game from there, though, surrendering four runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to allow West Burlington to stay in the game and avoid the ten-run mercy rule. In the top of the seventh, though, the Ravens found their dagger.
Liam Schrock led off the inning with a ringing double to right-center field, bringing Mason Helmuth to the plate. Helmuth slammed the first pitch he saw to the same spot as Bender for the second home run of the night, giving the Ravens a 16-6 lead.
Bender said that he and Helmuth had been working on their hitting together ahead of Monday’s game, “We were out this weekend putting in the work, hitting dingers at home, and it translated to the game.”
They plated one more run on a Rylan Good groundout, and Schrock, who had taken the mound in relief of Miller, closed the door with a scoreless bottom of the seventh.
Prior to Monday’s game, only Schrock had hit a home run for the Ravens in 2025.
Miller earned the win, surrendering four runs, two of which were earned, in five innings of work on four hits, four walks and one error. Lotzow took the loss on six runs, all earned, on two walks and two hits in three-and-two-thirds innings.
Hillcrest will travel to Waterloo tomorrow to play a rescheduled game against Louisa-Muscatine before taking on HLV at Highland in the first round of substate on Saturday.
July 2, 2025 – BASEBALL
Ours Locks Up Lions in Shut Out
The Southeast Iowa Superconference North Division Champion Hillcrest Academy Raven baseball scored a 5-0 shut out win at Lone Tree Friday. The Hillcrest offense posted three runs in the second and single tallies in the sixth and seventh, which was more than enough for Seth Ours in another dominant start. The senior spun a complete game shut out against the Lions, his second-in-a-row, following his outing against Highland last week. Ours allowed just two hits across seven frames, striking out nine, walking one. The Ravens out hit the Lions 7-2 and drew seven walks. Rowan Miller and Mason Bender had two hit nights for Hillcrest. Miller drove in three, Bender added an RBI. Ours also knocked in one on a hit. Kale Bailey, Mason Helmuth, Lawson Schrock, Lincoln Miller and Phoenix Anderson each scored once. Lion hits belonged to Jack Patterson and Brody Magruder. Owen Eden took the loss for Lone Tree. He and Emmett Burke combined on seven innings from the hill with five hits, one earned run, seven walks and 11 punchouts. Hillcrest moved to 11-7 with the win, Lone Tree is 7-11
July 2, 2025 – SOFTBALL
Raven Softball Spoils Senior Night For Falcons
Monday, the Hillcrest Academy Raven softball team played party crashers at the Nelson Athletic Complex in West Burlington, beating the home Falcons on their Senior Night 3-2. The Ravens broke the scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the third and added to their lead with another in the fifth to go up 3-0. WBND would plate a pair in the bottom of five to get within 3-2, but Hillcrest slammed the door on the home team to take the win. The Falcons out hit the Ravens 5-4, Hillcrest drew three walks and gave up two. Delaney Shaw delivered two clutch hits and a pair of RBI at the plate for Hillcrest. Malia Yoder drove in the other run and scored once. Claire Withrow and Ella Mize added a hit each. Morgyn Nafziger scored twice and stole two bases. Mize was masterful in the circle, going the distance, giving up just five hits, two earned runs, two walks and striking out four. The Ravens climbed to 11-13 with the win as the Falcons fell to .500 at 14-14.
July 4, 2025 – BASEBALL
Anderson and Schrock Help Ravens Win Arms Race Against L-M
The Hillcrest Academy Raven baseball team ran their winning streak to three to close the regular season, finishing off the Louisa-Muscatine Falcons Tuesday at Waterloo’s Riverfront Stadium 3-0. The two teams were scoreless through three, but the Southeast Iowa Superconference North Division champs broke through with a pair of runs in the fourth and the Ravens tacked on another in the sixth to reach the final margin. That was more than enough offense for the Hillcrest staff, who shut out the Falcons behind the arms of Phoenix Anderson and Lawson Schrock who outdueled Xavier Wheeler and Owen Klockseim of L-M. The two Raven pitchers covered seven innings, six and two thirds for Anderson, giving up just five hits, two walks and striking out four. Offensively, Rowan Miller drove in all three runs on two hits. Seth Ours, Liam Schrock, and Lawson Schrock each had a hit. Lincoln Miller scored twice and Lawson Schrock once. Raven head coach Danny Hershberger broke down the win with KCII Sports this week.
Hershberger, “Phoenix (Anderson) has been lights out for us all year and he did a great job of throwing strikes, mixing his pitches up and the defense stepped up and made plays behind him. We had a really nice double play ball. Lawson (Schrock) came in late and did a great job of closing the game out and stranding guys on base. Really nice performance from those two. When Rowan (Miller) has an opportunity to drive guys in, he steps up and gets that done. He had another two-RBI triple for us. The bottom of our order also did a great job of getting on base and it was one of the nights where we needed it.”
Hillcrest finishes the regular season 13-7 while L-M moves to 6-12. The Ravens open the postseason Saturday at Highland against HLV in a game that can be heard on KCII.
July 5, 2025 – SOFTBALL
Top Two Falcons Stop Ravens
The No. 2 in Class 2A Louisa-Muscatine Falcon softball team defended their home diamond and completed a season sweep of the Hillcrest Academy Ravens by a 9-1 score this week. L-M posted three runs in the first, and a Raven answer came with one in the top of the second, but the Falcons scored four in the second and one each in the fourth and fifth to end the game early. Hillcrest was out hit 11-2 and issued four walks while drawing two. Malia Yoder and Delaney Shaw each singled, Claire Withrow scored the Raven run. Yoder went four and two thirds in the circle with six hits, two earned runs, four walks and a strikeout. Joslynn Ramer led L-M with four hits and two RBI, Kamryn Taylor drove in three and got the pitching win on five innings, two hits, one earned run, two walks and 11Ks. Hillcrest was 11-14 after the loss, the Falcons 23-5.