Hillsboro wins 4th consecutive FAC softball championship
Hillsboro senior Halle Reveal finished 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI in the Lady Indians' victory over McClain Monday, as the Lady Indians also earned their fourth consecutive conference championship in the win. (HCP Photos/Stephen Forsha)
The outright 2024 Frontier Athletic Conference championship once again resides in Hillsboro, as the Lady Indians defeated the McClain Lady Tigers, 8-1 at Hillsboro High School to clinch the title with one conference game remaining.
The Monday night win saw the Lady Indians (9-0, 17-2) win for the ninth time in conference play this season. The victory over MHS sets up an opportunity for HHS to have a perfect FAC season on Tuesday, as they’ll play the Lady Tigers (2-7, 7-12) once again, but the game will take place at Mitchell Park in Greenfield.
The win on Monday also saw junior pitcher Camryn Spruell toss a no-hitter. One week ago, Spruell threw a perfect game (on April 22, against Miami Trace). Spruell went all seven innings in the win over McClain, allowing one run (unearned) on no hits and two walks, as she finished with 22 strikeouts.
Neither team scored a run in the first inning, and it was McClain scoring the first run of the game in the top of the second as Kenzi Wise led off the inning by taking first base on a passed ball third strike, reaching first base on the error.
Gracie Bowers forced a walk in the ensuing at-bat, moving Wise to second base. Wise crossed home plate as she raced around the bases on an infield error, giving MHS a 1-0 lead.
That was all the scoring for McClain, as Hillsboro answered with a four-run bottom of the third, and later, they added three runs in the bottom of the fifth and one last run in the bottom of the sixth.
The bottom of the third began with a lead-off single by Madison Dearmon, with Chanel Captain entering the game as a pinch runner. Next, Halle Reveal hit a line drive double to right field, scoring Captain and tying the score at 1-1.
HHS took the lead with an Eowyn Brown single to centerfield, scoring Reveal, giving HHS a 2-1 lead. Then came a two-run home run by Spruell over the left field fence, putting the Lady Indians ahead by three runs at 4-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Chloe Roberts smashed a three-run home run to left field for a 7-1 Hillsboro lead.
Hillsboro’s final run was off a single by Brown, scoring Reveal for the seven-run advantage.
Reveal finished 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Mylea Fridley went 2-for-4 with one run, and Brown was 2-for-4 with one run and two RBI.
Roberts finished the FAC game at 2-for-3 with one run and three RBI, while teammate Dearmon was 2-for-3. Spruell was 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI and a walk. Isabelle Brunck finished 1-for-3. Having steals for the Lady Indians were Reveal, Spruell and Fridley (two).
For McClain, Wise collected a run and a walk in the loss. Bowers also had a walk, while Allie Flowers and Amaya Ryan each were hit by a pitch. Bowers was charged with the loss in the circle, finishing with three strikeouts in six innings.
BOX SCORE
MHS 010 000 0 — 1 0 1
HHS 004 031 x — 8 13 2
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