Continuing their yearly upward trend, Hillcrest softball, a team that recorded four wins the previous year and zero wins the year before that, ended their 2023 season with a 7-17 record. 

The youth movement is firing on all cylinders at Hillcrest. Their roster this year consisted of only one junior, eight sophomores, four freshmen, and five eighth graders. 

Since they are a young team, their success will be gradual, but it will make the season where they put everything together to stack up consistent wins all the more satisfying. 

In a rough and tumble Southeast Iowa Super Conference, the Ravens ended their year with a 4-10 conference record, a two-game improvement from last year. The top team in the conference this year was Wapello, who went undefeated in conference play with a 14-0 record. 

Staying consistent with their level of play whether the game took place in Kalona or elsewhere, the Ravens garnered a 3-9 home record and a 4-7 road record. Hillcrest was never able to string together back-to-back wins, always following up a win with a loss, with their longest losing streak lasting six games. 

A common pattern in Hillcrest’s seven wins is they all occurred when they scored 10 or more runs in a game. In 2023 if Hillcrest reached double digit runs in a game, then they emerged victorious. 

In the first round of the playoffs Hillcrest found themselves matched up against the Tri-County Trojans. An away game for the Ravens they fell to the Trojans, 10-0, bringing Hillcrest’s 2023 campaign to an official end. 

As a team Hillcrest, while up to bat, produced 131 hits and scored 119 runs. Their collective team batting average is .271 and they ended their season with 98 RBIs. When baserunning the Ravens were able to steal 54 bases. 

The most runs the Ravens scored in a game this year was 16 and they did it three separate times. They scored 16 runs against Winfield-Mt Union, New London, and Danville. Overall Hillcrest’s scoring average was five runs per game. 

Two Ravens saw playing time at the pitching position this year. Hillcrest amassed 120 strikeouts, held opponents to a .242 batting average, allowed 183 hits, and allowed 274 runs. The lowest point total they allowed in a game is one run scored. Overall, they averaged giving up about 11 runs per game. 

Once the dust settled on the softball season the time was ripe to recognize standout players with all-conference honors and Hillcrest joined in on the party, with four Ravens receiving all-conference honors. 

Selected first team all-conference as a utility player was Delaney Shaw. This was Shaw’s third year playing softball for Hillcrest and with her experience and knowledge of the game she put together a praiseworthy sophomore season. 

Nobody on Hillcrest’s roster had more hits than Shaw. She led the Ravens in hits with 25 and scored the second most runs on the team with 21. Her .431 batting average led the team and was sixth best in the conference. 

Shaw went 11 for 14 on stolen bases with her on base percentage of .535 being the fourth best in the league. She had 17 RBIs, second most on the team, and being the team’s catcher, she was responsible for 124 putouts while committing only 14 errors. 

The player who saw the most playing time on the pitcher’s mound this season for Hillcrest was sophomore Malia Yoder and she was selected second team all-conference as a utility player. 

Yoder started 21 games as a pitcher, pitching in 102 innings, and ended her year with a 7-14 pitching record. Even when she was an eighth grader Yoder saw playing time on the mound, but this was the first season where she was counted on to be Hillcrest’s main pitcher. 

 Last year Yoder struck out 13 batters in 15 innings played. This year, reaching a landmark achievement, she struck out over 100 batters, finishing her season with 116 strikeouts in total.

Also, an asset on offense, Yoder’s 20 hits were the second most on the team. She had a .364 batting average and her .533 on base percentage was sixth best in the conference. She stole the most bases on the team with 16 and ended her year with 10 RBIs. 

Rounding out the four Ravens who earned postseason accolades, sophomores Morgyn Nafziger and Erin Bontrager both earned honorable mention all-conference. 

Nafziger scored 20 runs, the third most on the team, and had a batting average of .314, going 16 for 51 at the plate. She earned 19 walks, the most in the conference, and produced 10 RBIs. 

Bontrager went 16 for 49 while up to bat to end her season with a .327 batting average. She had 10 RBIs and garnered the second most putouts on the team with 49.  

Slow but steady. This is the best way to describe Hillcrest softball’s progress over the past couple of years. The talent the Ravens have on their roster will only continue to get better and if they continue their recent pattern of improving their win total every season then next year is shaping up to be an exciting one for Hillcrest.