Photo Courtesy of Hillcrest Yearbook

The Hillcrest Academy Raven softball team saw 2024 draw to a close Monday in the opening round of the Class 1A Regional tournament, falling at Wapello 6-2. The Ravens and Arrows each pushed across a run in the first. Wapello got two more in the second and another in the third to build a 4-1 lead. Hillcrest manufactured a fourth inning tally to climb within 4-2, but the Arrows got a pair insurance runs in the bottom half to put the game out of reach.

Wapello out hit Hillcrest 5-3 and collected eight free baserunners on walks, hit by pitches and errors. Ada Boysen was electric in the circle for the Arrows, throwing a complete game, while striking out 17 Hillcrest hitters. Mila Jordan led Wapello at the plate with two RBI. The Ravens were led at the plate by Delaney Shaw with a triple, Malia Yoder a double and Claire Withrow a single. Yoder and Kylee Statler each had an RBI. Shaw and Morgan Nafziger scored a run each. Yoder went six in the circle for Hillcrest, giving up five hits, two earned runs, two walks and striking out five. The Ravens end the year at 12-14, 8-7 in conference play, their first ever winning season in conference and their most wins in a year snice 2013. Wapello is 18-13 and will play in the Region 8 Quarterfinals tonight at English Valleys against the 15-4 Bears.