By: Elliot Schneider
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
WEST UNITY (April 30, 2026) — A fast start and consistent offensive pressure powered Hilltop to a 9-5 win over North Central in a back-and-forth BBC matchup Thursday.
The Cadets wasted no time taking control, plating six runs across the first two innings and setting the tone early. Cameron Shimp led the charge with two hits and three RBIs, while North Central’s Jackson Poynter kept the Eagles within striking distance with a three-hit, two-RBI performance.
Hilltop came out swinging in the first. Shimp opened the scoring with an RBI single to bring home Terry Rebeck, and two batters later, Toby Hartman added another RBI knock to score Brennan Dempsey.
Flint Bowman capped the inning with a third run-scoring single, giving the Cadets a quick 3-0 lead.
North Central answered in the second when Easton Fidler delivered an RBI single to left, plating Logan Clark and trimming the deficit to 3-1.
The Cadets responded immediately with another big inning. A sacrifice fly from Dempsey pushed across a run before Shimp came through again, ripping a two-RBI double to extend the lead to 6-1 after two innings.
Hilltop added another in the third on a wild pitch that brought home Camryn Nichols, stretching the advantage to 7-1.
North Central began to chip away as the game progressed. Briggs Fiser drove in a run with a single in the fifth, and although Hilltop answered with two more runs in the bottom half, highlighted by a sacrifice fly from Bowman and heads-up baserunning that led to another score, the Eagles continued to battle.
In the sixth, North Central capitalized on a defensive miscue before Poynter delivered a two-out single that brought in a pair, cutting the deficit to 9-5 and giving the Eagles late momentum.
That would be as close as they’d get. Ezra Mahlman shut the door for Hilltop, closing out the final inning to secure the victory and cap a strong all-around performance for the Cadets.
NCHS 010 013 0 – 5 7 2
HHS 331 020 X – 9 10 2
WP – Brennan Dempsey (IP-4.1, R-2, H-6, K-4, BB-3)
LP – Jackson Poynter (IP-5, R-9, H-9, K-3, BB-2)
LEADING HITTERS: (North Central) Jackson Poynter – 3 singles, 2 RBIs; Logan Clark – double, RBI; (Hilltop) Cameron Shimp – double, single, 3 RBIs; Flint Bowman – single, 2 RBIs.