Hillcrest extended their losing streak to three on Monday, dropping them down to 1-6. They came up short against the Excel Panthers, falling 16-0. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Panthers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 17-0 two weeks ago.
Hillcrest saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Carmen Bradley, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base.
As for Excel, their victory bumped their record up to 2-3. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for their hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
On Excel's side, Avery Duke made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Duke has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with four stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Excel got a massive performance out of Ava McPhaul, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those hits marked the first that McPhaul has got this season. Kyra Gulley was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Coming up, Hillcrest will be playing in front of their home fans against Pleasant Home at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Excel, they will venture away from home to challenge Monroe County at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
