Hillsboro unable to fend off Circleville in district semifinals
The No. 3 seeded Hillsboro Lady Indians had their season come to a sudden stop on Wednesday evening (May 15), as they lost in their Division II SE District Semifinal game played at Ohio University against the No. 6 seeded Circleville Lady Tigers by a 6-4 score.
Hillsboro — the reigning four-time Frontier Athletic Conference champion — and the Lady Tigers were scoreless after three innings, and though CHS took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, Hillsboro answered with a four-run inning for the three-run lead at 4-1.
The bottom of the fourth for HHS began with Camryn Spruell being intentionally walked to lead off the inning, and she advanced to second on a wild pitch, as Chloe Roberts eventually forced a walk.
HHS tied the game at 1-1 with a double hit to right field by Addi Huff, knocking in Spruell and moving Roberts to third. Hillsboro took the lead with a fielder’s choice hit into by Isabelle Brunck, scoring Roberts from third base, and she was safe and took second on an errant throw in the infield, moving Huff to third.
After the first out was recorded (a fielder’s choice that had Madison Dearmon safe and Huff out as she advanced home), Hillsboro took a 3-1 lead when Reagan Clemons hit into a groundout for the RBI, scoring Brunck. The HHS lead went to 4-1 as Halle Reveal singled to right field, scoring pinch runner Meredith Dietrick.
The three-run lead went away in the top of the sixth, with Circleville scoring five runs as Hillsboro’s defense started the sixth with an error, followed by Circleville forcing a walk. Then, a fielder’s choice occurred, where a throwing error led Circleville to cut Hillsboro’s lead to a single run at 4-3.
The second out of the inning was recorded, but two consecutive singles, followed by a two-run double, put CHS ahead 5-4. Circleville continued with their fourth consecutive hit – a single – that put the Lady Tigers ahead 6-4.
Hillsboro went down in order in the bottom of the sixth and began the seventh with Clemons reaching base on an error at second base. The next at-bat was a strikeout, followed by Mylea Fridley reaching first on an error, putting runners at the corners with one out.
The ensuing at-bat was Hillsboro’s second out on a swinging strikeout, and Spruell was intentionally walked for a third time in the game to load the bases. The final out of the game was recorded on a called third strike on a 2-2 count, with the at-bat going seven pitches.
Hillsboro finished the game with six hits and two errors, while Circleville totaled seven hits and two errors.
Huff finished 2-for-3 with one RBI, having the lone extra-base hit by the Lady Indians, a double.
Reveal finished 1-for-4 with one RBI, Fridley went 1-for-4 and Eowyn Brown was 1-for-4. Clemons was 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Spruell finished with a run and three walks, Roberts walked once and scored a run, and Brunck collected one RBI and scored a run. Dietrick finished with a run scored.
Spruell pitched seven innings, allowing six runs (one earned) on seven hits and three walks with 15 strikeouts. She tossed 110 pitches, 74 for strikes.
Hillsboro ends the 2024 season at 19-5 overall.
BOX SCORE
CHS 000 105 0 — 6 7 2
HHS 000 400 0 — 4 6 2
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