It may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Hillside ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 15-2 margin over the E.E. Smith Golden Bulls. The Hornets not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since February 28, 2025 (when they won 17-3).
Neil Howard made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over 3.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). Howard was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Eric Bonner
| 03/05/26 @ E.E. Smith | 5 |
| 03/11/25 vs Enloe | 2 |
| 03/07/25 vs Southeast Raleigh | 2 |
| 03/25/25 vs Riverside-Durham | 1 |
| 02/28/25 @ Durham School of the Arts | 1 |
In other batting news, Hillside let Eric Bonner and Alex Foster run wild. Bonner went 2-for-3 with five stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI, while Foster got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. Those five stolen bases gave Bonner a new career-high. Phillip Ford was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base.
Hillside always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .576. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as E.E. Smith only posted an OBP of .227.
The victory got Hillside back to even at 1-1. As for E.E. Smith, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 0-2.
The teams didn't have to wait long for a rematch: Hillside beat the Golden Bulls by a score of 13-9 on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
