The Hillcrest Academy Raven baseball and softball teams are back on the diamond tonight when they welcome Louisa-Muscatine to Kalona. The Hillcrest boys are 9-2 on the year, and 6-0, atop the North Division standings of the Southeast Iowa Superconference, despite an 8-4 setback Monday at New London. This season, the Ravens are hitting .359 as a crew with 122 runs on 101 hits. Luke Schrock leads a stacked lineup with his .545 average, one of six Ravens hitting .350 or better. His 18 hits are best on the team. Seth Ours has scored a team high 21 times and Rowan Miller has 19 driven in. The Hillcrest staff has an ERA of 2.30 in 61 innings. Opponents are hitting .213 with 47 hits, 20 earned runs 24 walks and 69 strikeouts. Ours is 3-0 this year with a 0.50 ERA. Luke Schrock and Rowan Miller are a combined 2-0 with an ERA under one.
L-M stands at 6-6 overall, 4-3 in the North Division after a 10-1 loss at Van Buren Monday. The Falcons are hitting .303 collectively with 64 runs on 94 hits. Braedyn Van Auken is best at the plate with a .438 average and 14 hits with 10 runs. Ty Northup has nine RBI. The Falcons have a staff ERA of 5.37 in 73 innings. Opponents hit .212 against them with 82 hits, 56 earned runs, 76 walks and 94 strikeouts. Xander Bieri is the ace with a 2-0 record and 2.90 ERA. These two met May 26th with the Ravens scoring a 17-3 win in Letts.
The Hillcrest softball team comes into Tuesday 4-8 overall, 2-6 in league play, after rolling Monday at New London 16-6 in six innings. This year, the Ravens are hitting .287 with 54 runs on 64 hits. Delaney Shaw stands at a team best .417 at the plate, she and Morgyn Nafziger both have 10 hits, Malia Yoder has scored 14 times and Kylee Statler has 14 RBI. In the circle, Hillcrest has a team ERA of 8.43 in 54 innings, giving up a .209 opponent average, 75 hits, 65 earned runs, 69 walks and 67 strikeouts. Yoder has 52 innings of work with a 7.86 ERA in the circle.
L-M is 9-6 this season, 6-2, second place in the Superconference North after getting by Van Buren 12-8 in Keosauqua Monday. The Falcons are .424 at the plate with 104 runs on 115 hits, led by Hannah Kissell’s .543 mark with 19 hits and 11 driven in. McKenzie Kissell has a team best 17 runs. The Falcon staff has a 3.32 ERA in 57 innings, giving up a .201 opponent average, 55 hits, 27 earned runs, 34 walks and 37 strikeouts. Hannah Kissell has worked 26 innings with a 4-2 record and 4.04 ERA. These teams met in late May with L-M taking a 12-2 victory in five.
You can hear all of the baseball action live tonight on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Jessica Yoder and Sarah Bigley with Lepic Kroeger Realtors Pregame Show at 5p.m. and first pitch at 5:30.