NON-CONFERENCE GAME … Stryker shortstop Bradley Williams ranges to his left to scoop up a grounder in Stryker’s April 8 non-conference game with Hilltop.
PHOTOS BY REBEKAH DELL / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
RACE TO THE BAG … Hilltop’s Flint Bowman tries to beat the throw to first base. VIEW 119 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
STRYKER (April 8, 2026) – Back in the day, Hall of Famer Greg Maddux pitched masterpieces by throwing only 80-90 pitches with a strike ratio of around 80 percent.
Hilltop freshman Ezra Mahlman isn’t exactly Greg Maddux, but he put in a Maddux-like performance as he tossed a no-walk, two-hit, 10-strikeout work of art in a 10-0, six-inning win over Stryker.
“He got a couple of good innings against Montpelier on Monday and it’s tough for a freshman to get his feet wet,” longtime Cadet coach Tony Gerig said.
“He plays with a lot of confidence though and his strike percentage was fantastic. “Nearly 80 percent strikes for a freshman in his first start, I mean you can’t ask for anything better than that. He is going to be a good one.”
Mahlman raced through the Panther lineup, allowing just one base runner in the first three innings. Dylan Rivas’ one-out single in the fourth was the first Stryker hit of the game.
Rivas made his way to third on a passed ball and a groundout but Mahlman struck out Walker Atkinson to end the only scoring threat the Panthers could muster.
Bradley Williams’ two-out single in the sixth was the only other Stryker hit.
Mahlman helped his own cause at the plate. His leadoff infield single in the first, an error, Cameron Shimp’s sacrifice fly and a groundout plated two runs that gave the Cadets a lead.
Hilltop put a six-pack on the board in the third to blow the game open. Terry Rebeck’s opposite-field double and Shimp’s second sac fly made it 3-0.
An error along with Alejandro Rubelcava’s base hit put runners at second and third with one down. Brady Wagner delivered a two-run double in the gap to open a 5-0 margin.
Flint Bowman’s sacrifice fly and Mahlman’s two-RBI single plated three more in the inning.
“We have not been good so far hitting with guys on base,” Gerig stated. “At times we still weren’t very good today but we are working on putting that ball in play consistently.
“We put some pressure on them today and our situational hitting with guys on third was improved. It was good to see guys getting the bat on the ball.”
Hilltop added single runs in the fifth and sixth. Mahlman’s groundout scored Camryn Nichols, who singled, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch, in the fifth.
A Shimp single, two steals and a throwing error gave the Cadets their 10th run in the sixth.
Logan Emmons took the loss for Stryker, giving up eight runs, five of them earned, in the three innings he worked.
HHS 206 011 – 10 7 0
SHS 000 000 – 0 2 7
WP- Ezra Mahlman (IP-6, H-2, R-0, BB-0, K-10)
LP- Logan Emmons (IP-3, H-4, R-8, BB-2, K-2)
LEADING HITTERS: (Hilltop) Ezra Mahlman – single, 3 RBIs; Brady Wagner – double, 2 RBIs; (Stryker) – 2 singles