BIG INNING .. Sara Barnum goes after a pitch for Hilltop during a 13-run fourth inning for the Cadets. (PHOTO BY RICH HARDING, STAFF)
By: Nate Calvin
BRYAN-Hilltop blew open a close game with five runs in the third and 13 in the fourth as they advanced to the Division IV district finals after a 19-2 win over their BBC rivals.
Each team scored a run in the opening inning as Kendee Hollstein had an RBI single for the Eagles and Kodi Brenner had an RBI groundout for Hilltop to tie the game 1-1 after the first inning.
The Cadets began to pull away in the third as Alex Horton doubled to start the inning, Holly Jermeay had a bunt single, and both would come around to score on a passed ball and an error.
Consecutive singles by Brenner, Sara Barnum and Lana Baker increased the lead to 4-1 and a Leanna Baker double drove in two runs to make it 6-1 Hilltop.
The Eagles would get one run back in the top of the fourth as Isabelle Burnett singled to drive in Emma Fidler who had singled as well.
Horton got things going for Hilltop in their half of the fourth with a double, Hannah Riley reached on a bunt single, and Jermeay reached on an error to score Horton to make it 7-2.
Riley would then score on an Eagle error, one of five errors in the inning by North Central, and Brenner had an RBI single to center to make the score 9-2.
The Cadets continued to pour it on with an RBI single by Kacy Connolly, Lana Baker scored on an error, Joscelyn Layman reached on an error to drive in Connolly and Horton would double again to drive in two more runs for a 14-2 lead.
Hilltop scored three more runs in the inning off North Central errors, Brenner had an RBI double, and Lana Baker singled to score Brenner and give Hilltop a 19-2 lead.
Horton led the Cadets at the plate by going 3-3 with three doubles while Brenner and Lana Baker were each 3-4. Brenner and Jermeay each knocked in three runs.
Macie Gendron tallied a single and double for North Central (12-13).
Hilltop (26-3) now takes on Antwerp (11-9) in the district final on Friday night. The Cadets won the previous meeting on May 8th 6-1.
SCORE BY INNINGS R H E
N. Central 100 10x x 2 5 9
Hilltop 105 13xx x 19 15 1
Nate can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com