KALONA

With their season on the line, all the pressure was put on Hillcrest in their first-round home playoff game after their opponent, HLV, scored in three straight innings to take a three-run lead. 

“They had a couple good hits to get their first run and then we kind of had some lapses defensively, some plays we’d like to have back,” Hillcrest coach Danny Hershberger said about how HLV built their lead. “Some plays that we typically don’t have and came back to hurt us a little bit and gave them those runs they got.”

It was gut check time for the Ravens if they wanted to continue the playoff path towards state and they proved to be resilient when it matters the most. Scoring four runs in the fifth to take back the lead, Hillcrest (16-4) earned a 5-4 postseason win over the HLV Warriors (2-14) last Saturday. 

“Second time through the order, we got a little more comfortable seeing their pitcher and started hitting the ball hard,” coach Hershberger said about how his team was able to mount a comeback, “Anytime you hit the ball hard, good things will happen and that’s kind of where we’ve got to get back in the rhythm of hitting like that.” 

Hillcrest’s rally in the fifth saw the Ravens go through their entire batting order. The scoring began when Mason Bender reached home after a wild pitch, and it was followed up by big time playmaker Liam Schrock hitting an RBI single. 

The bases eventually became loaded, and Rowan Miller was next up to bat. The standout sophomore put the ball in play and thanks to an error by HLV, this caused two more Ravens to score. 

Turning the tables on their opponent, the Ravens now had a one run lead, and it was up to Miller, who got the start on the mound for Hillcrest, and the defense to preserve their lead.

Not allowing the Warriors to reach home in the last two innings, the Ravens stood tall on defense to complete their comeback victory. During that two inning stretch Miller only gave up one hit and struck out three.    

“Credit Rowan on the mound. He stepped up and made some really good pitches to not let them get on base, really shutting down [HLV] the rest of the night,” coach Hershberger said about how Miller was able to lock in near the end of the game.   

Coming in with a 4-0 pitching record, Miller ended his first playoff start with eight strikeouts, surrendering five hits, and allowing two walks. 

“The way he kept his composure and came back and finished those last three or so innings the way he did was huge for us,” coach Hershberger said about Miller’s impressive performance on the mound. 

“Great start to the game, throwing a lot of strikes early, getting some good quick outs. That’s what we like to do, make their team swing the bat and he was doing that and getting some good pitches.” 

When it came to the beginning of the game Hillcrest could not have asked for a better start on offense. On the very first pitch thrown, Liam Schrock said goodbye to the ball, sending it flying for a homerun, his third of the year.

“We’ve been looking for a spark on offense, and Liam provided that,” coach Hershberger said. “Can’t get any better than the first pitch of the game you see and hit it out of the park. To have a no doubter there, what a great way to grab the momentum early and get everyone excited. Great job by Liam to be ready to go right from the first pitch.”

Schrock, who hit three home runs last year in the first round of the playoffs, ended with a team high two RBIs. Through 20 games Schrock is tied for the team lead in hits with 24. 

Up next for Hillcrest was hosting the BGM Bears (17-7) for a second-round playoff game on July 9th. 

“It’s a team you don’t see a whole lot. It’s been a few years since we’ve played them. But anytime it’s postseason, it’s going to be a tough, tough match up,” coach Hershberger said about BGM. “They pitch really well. They got some guys that can hit, some really solid players for them. It’s going to be another, close battle for us. 

Hillcrest and BGM have only met once before, occurring in 2017, and it was a game the Ravens won, 4-3. 

The winner of this second-round matchup will advance to the semifinals against either Sigourney (18-4) or Lone Tree (7-13) on July 13.