After five frustrating games, all of the Hillsboro softball team’s pent up energy came out in one fell swoop against Ramsey on Wednesday, May 5.
The Hiltoppers scored 25 runs in three innings, pounding out 18 hits to beat the Rams 25-1. The victory was the first of the year for the Toppers, who were held to six runs in their first five games this season.
Wednesday would be a hit parade from the get-go,though, as Hillsboro started off the game with back-to-back doubles by Taelyn Smith and Haley Major. After a strikeout and a walk to Sophia Blankenship, Hillsboro’s hitting continued with a single from Summer Smith, a fielder’s choice off the bat of Meagan Jorn and a single by Erin Moore.
Ramsey would get the last out after that, but not before Hillsboro plated five runs.
The second inning would prove to be even better for Hillsboro, who sent 17 batters to the plate. All nine players to have an at-bat in the inning scored, with Taelyn Smith, Haley Major and Aubrey Evans each scoring twice.
The Toppers would cobble together ten hits before the inning ended, with Major coming up big with two triples in the 12-run frame. Aliyah Trader also had a single and a double in the inning, while Erin Moore had a pair of singles in the second.
Up 16-0, Hillsboro continued to score in the third as they batted around again, with 14 trips to the plate resulting in nine runs.
With a double and two triples to her credit already, Major remained perfect on the day as she walked, singled and was one of eight players to score a run.
Ally Devore would have a double and a walk in the inning and scored twice, while Aubrey Evans also had a base hit and a run scored.
As good as Hillsboro was at the plate, Taelyn Smith was just as effective on the mound. The sophomore hurler had a no-hitter going into the fourth inning, with a two-out walk in the first, Ramsey’s only base runner to that point.
Macy Wright would eventually break up Smith’s no-hitter bid and scored the Rams’ only run of the game after she singled and scored on a ground out by Melody Otto.
Ramsey would get another runner on after Olivia Carrol reached on an error, but Smith would get a pair of ground balls to end the game and collect her first varsity win.
It would almost be easier to list who didn’t have multiple hits for Hillsboro as six players finished with at least two in the game, led by Major’s 4-for-4 day. Erin Moore would add in three hits, while Aliyah Trader, Ally Devore, Sophia Blankenship and Taelyn Smith all had two hits apiece.
Smith would finish with four strikeouts on the mound, just one walk and was helped by a Hillsboro defense that committed just one error.
Now 1-5 on the season, the Toppers will be in Roxana, weather permitting, on May 6, as they take on the Shells in a South Central Conference tilt.
May 5 at Hillsboro
Ramsey 000 1 1 1 7
Hillsboro 4(12)9 x 25 18 1
Pitching Statistics
Gillespie IP R ER H K BB
Carrol 2 16 10 10 1 3
Hillsboro IP R ER H K BB
T. Smith 4 1 0 1 4 1
Batting Statistics
Multiple Hits: Hillsboro - Haley Major 4-4, Erin Moore 3-4, Aliyah Trader 2-2, Ally Devore 2-3, Sophia Blankenship 2-3, Taelyn Smith 2-4. 2B: Hillsboro - Taelyn Smith 1, Ally Devore 1, Haley Major 1, Aliyah Trader 1. 3B: Haley Major 2. Runs: Hillsboro - Taelyn Smith 4, Haley Major 4, Aubrey Evans 3, Sophia Blankenship 3, Summer Smith 3, Ally Devore 3, Meagan Jorn 2, Aliyah Trader 1, Erin Moore 1, Aurelie Granito 1. RBI: Haley Major 4, Taelyn Smith 3, Erin Moore 3, Aubrey Evans 2, Summer Smith 2, Aliyah Trader 1, Sophia Blankenship 1, Meagan Jorn 1, Ally Devore 1.
Record: Hillsboro (1-5).
With a short bench and a tough opponent ahead of them the Hillsboro High School softball team took the field on Monday, April 3, to face conference foe Gillespie.
The Miners had lost just once in their seven games going into Monday’s tilt, a 9-5 decision to Alton in their opening game, and Hillsboro wasn’t able to add to that total as Gillespie came away with an 11-0 win.
Gillespie pitcher Sydney Bires was deadly from the circle as she recorded 12 of her 15 outs on strikeouts and allowed just two hits.
One of the two came in the first at-bat of the game for Hillsboro as Taelyn Smith doubled, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch the extra-base hit into a triple. Bires would strike out seven of the next eight batters, with a walk to Erin Moore the only exception in the streak.
Meanwhile, the Miners were making the most of some miscues in the field by the Toppers. Of their 11 runs, only five would be earned as Hillsboro committed seven errors in the contest, including two in the first two innings, which contributed to helping Gillespie get off to a 4-0 lead.
Four runs off five errors and three hits would come in the third frame to make it 8-0, with the final three runs coming in the top of the fourth off starter Taelyn Smith, who scattered seven hits, one walk and one hit batter in her four innings.
Meagan Jorn would come on to pitch the fifth inning and set the Miners down in order on a grounder to first and two pop ups.
Hillsboro would get their second hit of the game on a Sophia Blankenship single to lead off the fifth, but the Topper freshman would be stranded at second after Bires got the next three batters on a pop up to second and two strikeouts.
The Toppers will be in Roxana, weather permitting, on May 6, as they take on the Shells in a South Central Conference tilt.
May 3 at Hillsboro
Gillespie 134 30 11 7 0
Hillsboro 000 00 0 2 7
Pitching Statistics
Gillespie IP R ER H K BB
Bires 5 0 0 2 12 1
Hillsboro IP R ER H K BB
T. Smith 4 11 5 7 1 1
Jorn 1 0 0 0 0 0
Batting Statistics
Multiple Hits: Gillespie - Sydney Bires 3-3, Hannah Barrett 2-3. 2B: Gillespie - Chloe Segarra 1, Keaton Link 1; Hillsboro - Taelyn Smith 1.
Record: Hillsboro (0-5); Gillespie (7-1).
