DISTRICT SEMIFINAL … Kenley Routt looks to slap the ball toward third base for Hilltop. (PHOTO BY RICH HARDING / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Nate Calvin
BRYAN (MAY 15, 2023) – Ayersville freshman pitcher Kendra Waldron shook off a slow start and totaled 12 strikeouts and was 3-4 at the dish to lead the Pilots past Hilltop 6-3 in a district semifinal at Recreation Park in Bryan.
It was a fast start for the defending district champion Cadets as Brooklyn Kuszmaul opened the game with a single, Sophie Graham then reached on an error and Giada Rising knocked in Kuszmaul with a single to center.
Graham scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch before Waldron settled down to get a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to end the inning.
The Pilots went to work in their half of the inning as Waldron and Allison Eldridge each singled with Waldron eventually scoring on an error to get Ayersville on the board.
After a walk by Aeriel Brown, Eldridge scored on another Hilltop error to tie the game 2-2 with still no outs in the inning.
Brown, who went to second on the error that scored Eldridge, would them move to third on a sacrifice bunt by Meling Bond and later scored on a two-out single by Mabel McGuire to put Ayersville ahead 3-2.
Both teams’ pitchers would settle in after rough first inning and it remained a 3-2 game until Hilltop came to bat in the fifth.
Elena VanArsdalen singled to open the frame and after Waldron got Kuszmaul and Graham to pop out, Rising and Shaelyn Brown had back-to-back singles to score VanArsdalen to tie the game at 3-3.
Ayersville responded in the bottom of the inning with a Kenzie Waldron single and Brown tripled to center field to score Waldron and put Ayersville back on top at 4-3.
The lead grew to 5-3 after Rylan Becher had a pinch-hit groundout to bring Brown home followed by singles from Taylor Waldron and McGuire but Rising would end the inning by inducing a groundout from Mikala Schindler.
Ayersville added another run in the sixth as they took advantage of a couple Hilltop errors to push the lead to 6-3 heading to the final frame.
The first two Hilltop batters were retired to start the final frame but a single by Graham and a walk to Rising brought the tying run to the plate with two outs.
After falling behind in the count 2-0 to Brown, Waldron would get Brown to line out to Eldridge at second base to end the threat.
Rising took the loss for Hilltop while adding two singles and an RBI.
HILLTOP 200 010 0 – 3 7 4
AYERSVILLE 300 021 x – 6 10 2
Records: Hilltop 16-9, Ayersville 15-6
WINNING PITCHER: K. Waldron (7 innings, 3 runs, 1 earned, 12 strikeouts, 1 walk)
LOSING PITCHER: Rising (6 innings, 10 hits, 6 runs, 4 earned, 5 strikeouts, 2 walks)
LEADING HITTERS: (Hilltop) Rising – 2 singles, RBI; (Ayersville) Waldron – 3 singles, 2 runs; McGuire – 2 singles, RBI; Brown – triple, RBI, 2 runs
Nate can be reached at sports@thevillagereporter.com