The Hillcrest Academy Raven baseball and softball teams were on the wrong ends of the brooms Wednesday at Van Buren High School, falling to the Warriors in both ends of an interdivisional Southeast Iowa Superconference doubleheader. The loss was the first of the year for the Hillcrest boys who came into play at 7-0 before falling by a 6-1 score. After a scoreless first and second, Van Buren broke through with four in the third against Raven starter Phoenix Anderson. Hillcrest got on the board with a run in the fifth, climbing back within 4-1, but Van Buren scored twice more in the sixth to finish the win. The Warriors outhit the Ravens 9-4 in the game and took advantage of three walks and three hit batters. The Hillcrest offense couldn’t get on track against Van Buren starter Lucas Fett who threw a complete game with four Ks. Luke Schrock, Seth Ours, Grant Bender and Josiah Beachy each had a hit, Ours drove in Beachy for the game’s only run. Anderson took the loss going six, giving up five earned runs and striking out five. Hillcrest is now 7-1 this year as Van Buren improves to 12-1.

In the girls contest, the Warriors ended things in three innings 15-3. Hillcrest led 1-0 after the first, but a 14 run second inning for the Warriors gave them control of the game. Hillcrest scored twice more in the third and Van Buren added one in the bottom half to stop things early. Van Buren out hit Hillcrest 15-3 and took advantage of 10 walks, as all nine players in their lineup scored at least one run and eight of the nine recorded a hit, led by Annabelle Cormier’s three RBI. Ally Cambell got the pitching win for Van Buren. Hillcrest was led at the plate by a two for two day with three driven in for Delaney Shaw. Malia Yoder scored a pair of runs. She also took the loss in the circle. The loss dropped Hillcrest to 3-5, Van Buren improved to 9-3.