Softball Recap: Hilltop Wins Going Away Against North Central

Cadets

Margin (Wins)

04/17/25 vs Gorham Fayette	30
04/09/25 vs Stryker	28
04/29/25 @ North Central	24
04/15/25 @ Edon	13
04/07/25 @ Liberty Center	12

Hilltop got themselves on the board against North Central on Tuesday, but North Central never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 24-0 margin over the Eagles. The result was nothing new for the Cadets, who have now won 13 matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.

Kelsy Connolly made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 14 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.

In other batting news, Hilltop let Sophia Crossgrove and Kenley Routt run wild. Crossgrove got on base in three of her six plate appearances with four runs, three RBI, and one stolen base, while Routt got on base in five of her six plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most runs Crossgrove has posted over her last 12 games. The team also got some help courtesy of Libbie Baker, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs.

Hilltop always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .673. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as North Central only posted an OBP of .059.

The win made it two in a row for Hilltop and bumps their season record up to 15-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.0 runs over those games. As for North Central, they dropped their record down to 3-9 with the defeat, which was their third straight at home.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Hilltop will take on Stryker at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Panthers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 22.5 runs per game on average), something the Cadets will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for North Central, they will face off against Montpelier at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Locomotives will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each contest than the last.