Hillcrest came tearing into Friday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.6 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against Van Alstyne by a score of 7-4.
The team relied heavily on Julio Longa, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That double was his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Lincoln Hunter, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Panthers
| 03/06/26 vs Van Alstyne | 63% |
| 03/06/26 vs Naaman Forest | 55% |
| 03/05/26 vs Wylie East | 25% |
| 02/21/26 @ Lakeview Centennial | 60.7% |
| 02/20/26 @ North Forney | 51.7% |
| + 20 more games |
Hillcrest always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .630. The last time their OBP was this high was back in March of 2025.
Hillcrest's victory bumped their record up to 9-2-1. As for Van Alstyne, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-8 record this season.
Hillcrest will square off against Community at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. As for Van Alstyne, they will take on Walnut Grove in a tournament on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps