The Hilltop Cadets will venture away from home to face off against the Ayersville Pilots at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Ayersville will be up against a hot Hilltop squad: the team just extended their winning streak to five. The Cadets never let North Central get on the board and left with an 11-0 win on Tuesday. The Cadets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four contests by seven runs or more this season.
Kelsy Connolly
| 04/01/25 vs North Central | 0 |
| 03/27/25 vs Swanton | 2 |
| 03/22/25 @ Batavia | 2 |
Kelsy Connolly made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Libbie Baker was a standout: she went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. Kenley Routt was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Hilltop was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .381. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .346 or higher every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ayersville). They put the hurt on Coldwater with a sharp 19-2 victory on Tuesday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Pilots' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Like Hilltop, Ayersville also got a great game from a two-way player: Kendra Waldron. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. Waldron was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run, four runs, and two RBI. Those four runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Aeriel Brown was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Miki Shreve, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3.
Hilltop's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-0. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Ayersville, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Hilltop's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's matchup. The Cadets have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Ayersville, though, as they've been averaging only 0.5 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Hilltop continue to outrun the ball?
Hilltop couldn't quite get it done against Ayersville when the teams last played back in May of 2023 as they fell 6-3. Can the Cadets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
