Photos Courtesy of Hillcrest Academy Yearbook

Late excitement turned to seventh inning heartbreak for the Hillcrest Academy Raven softball team Monday, as they dropped a 4-3 decision at Van Buren. The Ravens reached the scoreboard first with a run in their initial at bat. Van Buren took the lead with a pair in the fourth and the two squads see-sawed from there. Hillcrest tied it with one in the fifth, only to see Van Buren go up 3-2 with a run in the sixth. Down to their final three outs, the Ravens scratched across one to send it to the bottom of the seventh, before a Warrior walk-off sent Hillcrest home empty handed.

Van Buren out hit the Ravens 11-6 in total. Claire Withrow and Kylee Statler had the Raven RBI. Withrow and Delaney Shaw each finished with two hits. Shaw also scored twice while Malia Yoder had a hit and scored once. Yoder went six in the circle, surrendering nine hits, four runs, three earned, walking two and striking out eight. Ivy Davison, Kylee Roen and Ali Pedretti each had an RBI for Van Buren and Alicia Cumberland went seven in the circle to get the win. The loss dropped the Ravens to 7-8 on the year and moved the Warriors to 8-6.