REGIONAL SEMIFINALS … Hilltop shortstop Halle Jones fires to first base to double off a Mohawk baserunner in the first inning.
(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
MAKING THE CATCH … Brooklyn Kuszmaul catches a pop up in foul territory beside third base to end the first inning for Hilltop in their Division VII regional semifinal against Mohawk.
By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
BOWLING GREEN (May 28, 2025) – Leading 4-1 going to the seventh, Hilltop was just three outs away from a trip to the regional finals.
Quoting college football analyst Lee Corso, the state ranked Mohawk Warriors said “not so fast, my friend” with a nine-run seventh to storm back and knock off Hilltop 10-4 in a Division VII regional semifinal.
Through the first 4 1/2 innings, Hilltop starter Kelsy Connolly and Mohawk pitcher Aubrey Gottfried were cruising, working around base runners and kept the game scoreless going to the bottom of the fifth.
Hilltop loaded the bases in the fifth with two outs thanks to a pair of walks and a single sandwiched around two strikeouts.
Sophia Crossgrove delivered in the clutch as she lined a double to left field to clear the bases and give Hilltop a 3-0 lead after five innings.
Mohawk got a run back in the sixth as Mallory Brickner and Katie Woodland started the frame with back-to-back doubles to make it 3-1.
Hilltop struck back with a run in the sixth as Giada Rising led off with a walk and after the next two batters were retired, Sophie Graham lined a single to center, bringing in Rising and pushing the advantage to 4-1 entering the seventh.
The first three Warrior batters reached base to load the bases before Emily Brickner hit a two-run single to center to trim the deficit to 4-3 as Rising entered the circle in relief of Connolly.
A single, error, and sacrifice bunt plated two more runs for Mohawk as they took their first lead of the day at 5-4.
Another Hilltop error led to a Mohawk run and with the bases still loaded, Trenna Johnson provided the big hit to put Mohawk in control with a three-run triple to center to increase the lead to 9-4.
Mohawk added one more run on a single before a ground out and pop out ended the inning. In total, Mohawk sent 14 batters to the plate to generate nine runs on seven hits.
In Hilltop’s final at-bat, they managed to load the bases themselves, but Gottfried would get a force out at home and then a ground out to first to end it.
Besides Crossgrove’s fifth inning double, Halle Jones added a pair of singles to lead Hilltop at the plate. Connolly went 6 2/3 innings with four strikeouts in taking the loss, as the Cadets close the season at 26-4.
MHS 000 001 9 – 10 12 3
HHS 000 030 0 – 4 6 3
Records: HHS 26-4, MHS 24-5
WINNING PITCHER: Gottfried (7 innings, 6 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts)
LOSING PITCHER: Connolly (6.2 innings, 10 hits, 5 runs, 4 earned, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts) Other: Rising
LEADING HITTERS: (Hilltop) Crossgrove – double, 3 RBIs; Jones – 2 singles; (Mohawk) Johnson – triple, single, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; E. Brickner – double, 2 singles, 2 RBIs; Woodland – double, single, RBI; Russell – 2 singles, RBI; M. Brickner – double, single, 2 runs