Photos Courtesy of Hillcrest Academy Yearbook

The Hillcrest Academy Raven softball team turned their homefield in Kalona into an airport Wednesday, launching balls all over and out of the yard in a 13-4 Southeast Iowa Superconference crossover win against the visiting New London Tigers. The Tigers took two early leads, with a pair of runs in the first, which the Ravens matched, and one more in the second, which Hillcrest bettered with a four spot. Up 6-3 after two. The Ravens would continue to pull away, posting two runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth.

Hillcrest pounded out 12 hits on the day, four for extra bases. Delaney Shaw and Malia Yoder were a dynamic duo. The pair of Ravens preyed on Tiger pitching, finishing with a combined nine RBI, five hits and five runs scored. They both played long ball, each belting a homer. Morgyn Nafziger, Lydia Beachy and Ava Miller each added an RBI. Kylee Statler and Adrianne Blauvelt each had two hits. Nafziger scored three times and Statler twice. Yoder tossed the complete game winner in the circle, giving up four hits, three earned runs, walking and striking out six. Hillcrest has now won back-to-back games to improve to 5-6 as New London drops to 1-8.