STRYKER PITCHER … Peityn Crosser unloads a pitch in the fourth inning of their sectional at Hilltop.
PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
PERFECTION … Kelsy Connolly fired a complete game with 15 strikeouts as Hilltop advanced to the district semifinals. VIEW PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM.
By John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
WEST UNITY (May 15, 2026) – For just the second time this season, Hilltop junior pitching ace Kelsy Connolly recorded another perfect game, and it came at the right time in the Cadets’ 21-0 shutout five-inning victory over Stryker in a Division VII sectional softball final on Friday, May 15.
Connolly was dominant in the circle striking out all 15 batters she had faced in the one-sided tournament opener for the Cadets.
“She [Connolly] pitched a great game, and she was really strong with the ball,” said Hilltop head coach Tom Schaper.
Connolly also notched her 20th victory of the season and recorded her 201st strikeout in the game. “She did a great job tonight,” said Schaper. “When she got her mind set on something she can bring it.”
Complementing Connolly’s pitching performance was a solid hitting attack in which Hilltop unleashed a 22-hit barrage against Stryker.
After Connolly had struck out all three Stryker batters she had faced in the top of the first inning, Hilltop would go on the offensive end in its bottom half of the inning.
Stryker hurler Peityn Crosser was able to get Hilltop leadoff hitter Halle Jones on an infield groundout for the first out of the first inning, but the Cadets would put it all together with Kenley Routt smacking a double into right field and Brooklyn Kuszmaul followed with an RBI single scoring Routt from second base.
Connolly, who had four hits in the game, delivered an RBI single and later scored when Maggie Altman reached safely on a fielder’s choice.
Consecutive singles by Carlee Schaffner, Jones and Routt enabled the Cadets to jump out to an 8-0 cushion after one inning of play.
Hilltop would send 13 batters to the plate in the second inning highlighted by a bases-loaded clearing double by Routt, and the Cadets extended their lead to 15-0 after two innings of play.
“We try to play very aggressive softball,” pointed out Schaper. “They didn’t get a lot of chances at defense tonight.
“They came out and we’re ready to play. We’ve been working on them, being able to hit different kinds of pitching. We got a number of games this next week and hopefully we can continue to do that.”
The Cadets would score three runs each in both the third and fourth innings to make the final score of 21-0.
Also contributing at the plate for the Cadets were Routt, who also had four hits including a triple and drove in four runs. Jones and Sophia Crossgrove both had three hits each. Kuszmaul and Altman each had two hits.
Schaper is hoping that his squad can keep rolling through the tournament. “I told the girls tournaments are step by step and so that was step one,” said the Hilltop coach. “We’re playing Edon next and that’s step two and then we’ll head to step three which will probably be Ayersville.”
Stryker bows out with a 1-13 record. The Panthers graduate just two seniors, Taygen Deming and Raegan Myers.
Hilltop will now face Edon in the district semifinal on Wednesday, May 20 at Bryan Recreation Park. It will be the third time these two BBC archrivals will face each other. Hilltop has already beaten Edon twice, 10-0 (April 24) and 15-1 (May 12) in the regular season.
SHS 000 00 – 0 0 5
HHS 873 3x – 21 22 0
WP- Kelsy Connolly (IP-5, R-0, H-0, K-15, BB-0)
LP- Peityn Crosser (IP-4, R-21, H-22, K-1, BB-3)
LEADING HITTERS: (Stryker) None; (Hilltop) Halle Jones – 3 singles, 3 RBIs, 4 runs; Kenley Routt – 2 singles, double, triple, 4 RBIs, 3 runs; Brooklyn Kuszmaul – 2 singles, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Kelsy Connolly – 3 singles, double, 4 RBIs, 2 runs; Sophia Crossgrove – 3 singles, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Maggie Altman – 2 singles, RBI, run.
