Hillsboro’s season ends with sectional final loss to Athens
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
HILLSBORO — It wasn’t the way Hillsboro wanted their season to end, but on Wednesday night at Alice Cassner Field the Lady Indians were unable to fend off the Athens Bulldogs, resulting in an 8-5 loss in the Division II SE District Sectional Finals.
Hillsboro — the champions of the Frontier Athletic Conference — came into the game as the No. 4 seed, while Athens was the No. 5 seed in the bracket. For the first two innings, the two teams were tied at 1-1 with HHS scoring the first run of the game in the bottom of the first, while AHS scored a run in the top of the second for the 1-1 score.
Then came the third inning, where Athens scored four runs and took a 5-1 lead. They eventually increased their lead to 6-1 after a run crossed the plate in the top of the fourth inning.
HHS (16-5) came back with a run in the bottom of the fourth, then scored once again in the bottom of the fifth, getting to within three runs of tying the score at 6-3.
Athens was too strong as both teams scored two runs in the sixth inning, and HHS was never able to get closer to the lead.
“The kids fought hard, we had no quit and we gave (Athens) chances, and they are a good team,” HHS head coach Gary Breeden said. “They are solid and took advantage of what we gave when we gave it and we got things cleaned up, but unfortunately we didn’t get the bleeding stopped in time, but I can’t be any prouder of the kids and how hard they fought.
“It is like I told them, we could have laid down after Athens had their one big inning, but we didn’t and we kept chipping away, and I am very proud of them.”
For the game, AHS finished with eight hits and three errors, while HHS totaled 10 hits and three errors.
Three Hillsboro players finished with two hits each as Cam Spruell was 2-for-4 with one run (a double), Eowyn Brown went 2-for-4 with one run and Isabelle Brunck finished 2-for-3 (a double) with one run and one RBI.
Halle Reveal finished 1-for-4 with one run and one RBI, Kayla Roberts was 1-for-3 (hit by pitch), Gracey Dearmon went 1-for-3 with two RBI and KaleyJo Myers was 1-for-4.
Also for Hillsboro, Bre Karnes forced a walk, and Hannah Burton also forced a walk.
The loss in the circle was charged to Roberts, as she pitched 3.1 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks. Roberts finished with five strikeouts. Spruell pitched 3.2 innings in relief, where she allowed two earned runs on two hits and one walk, while totaling six strikeouts.
For the season, the Lady Indians finish 16-5 overall, with an FAC record of 10-0.
“I’m extremely happy with the season,” Breeden said. “The kids bought into what the coaching staff, myself and what we were teaching and what we believe in. Our motto this season was #Mudita … Be happier for the other person than you are for yourself, and it showed.
“It showed as the season progressed, it showed Monday vs. Jackson, and the fight was there tonight. The future of this program is very bright.”
Seniors for Hillsboro are: Gracey Dearmon, Mackenzie Dietrick, KaleyJo Myers, Bre Karnes and Emma Taylor.
“We are losing five kids that I’ve known for an extremely long time, not only through this program, but coming though travel ball and rec ball,” Breeden said. “This is the hardest senior class I’ve had to see go, other than my daughter’s class obviously.
“Gracey battled back and got herself healthy and played her role. Jo Myers behind the plate did a great job for us all year. Bre Karnes, I can’t say enough about her athletes in the outfield. Emma is the one kid every coach loves because she comes in and works. Kenzie Dietrick, you have to love her. She had that devastating injury in soccer and she’s worked hard and is continuing to work hard. Her future is going to be bright next year in college and should be ready to roll.”
The past two seasons for Hillsboro have seen their program become a winning one, as they are 36-10 combined the past two seasons overall, plus they are undefeated in the FAC those two seasons.
“We are trying to build a winning tradition, where the pride is the effort to win, and not just the result,” Breeden said. “Being 36-10 the past two years is a monster improvement, and that shows the dedication the kids have to the program. Catie coached us last year and I took over this year, and it is to the program. It is not just to the individual, but their overall commitment to the program and to leave a legacy.
“This year’s seniors are leaving a legacy of how to win. Our ’22 seniors have shown the way on how to win, what it takes to win. They have set the bar extremely high, and everybody else coming through is going to have to live up to that bar.
“One thing about tonight and Monday night is the community showed phenomenal support for these young ladies,” Breeden continued. “I can’t say how thankful I am to the community to showing these young ladies how much they mean to them.”
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Hillsboro — the champions of the Frontier Athletic Conference — came into the game as the No. 4 seed, while Athens was the No. 5 seed in the bracket. For the first two innings, the two teams were tied at 1-1 with HHS scoring the first run of the game in the bottom of the first, while AHS scored a run in the top of the second for the 1-1 score.
Then came the third inning, where Athens scored four runs and took a 5-1 lead. They eventually increased their lead to 6-1 after a run crossed the plate in the top of the fourth inning.
HHS (16-5) came back with a run in the bottom of the fourth, then scored once again in the bottom of the fifth, getting to within three runs of tying the score at 6-3.
Athens was too strong as both teams scored two runs in the sixth inning, and HHS was never able to get closer to the lead.
“The kids fought hard, we had no quit and we gave (Athens) chances, and they are a good team,” HHS head coach Gary Breeden said. “They are solid and took advantage of what we gave when we gave it and we got things cleaned up, but unfortunately we didn’t get the bleeding stopped in time, but I can’t be any prouder of the kids and how hard they fought.
“It is like I told them, we could have laid down after Athens had their one big inning, but we didn’t and we kept chipping away, and I am very proud of them.”
For the game, AHS finished with eight hits and three errors, while HHS totaled 10 hits and three errors.
Three Hillsboro players finished with two hits each as Cam Spruell was 2-for-4 with one run (a double), Eowyn Brown went 2-for-4 with one run and Isabelle Brunck finished 2-for-3 (a double) with one run and one RBI.
Halle Reveal finished 1-for-4 with one run and one RBI, Kayla Roberts was 1-for-3 (hit by pitch), Gracey Dearmon went 1-for-3 with two RBI and KaleyJo Myers was 1-for-4.
Also for Hillsboro, Bre Karnes forced a walk, and Hannah Burton also forced a walk.
The loss in the circle was charged to Roberts, as she pitched 3.1 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks. Roberts finished with five strikeouts. Spruell pitched 3.2 innings in relief, where she allowed two earned runs on two hits and one walk, while totaling six strikeouts.
For the season, the Lady Indians finish 16-5 overall, with an FAC record of 10-0.
“I’m extremely happy with the season,” Breeden said. “The kids bought into what the coaching staff, myself and what we were teaching and what we believe in. Our motto this season was #Mudita … Be happier for the other person than you are for yourself, and it showed.
“It showed as the season progressed, it showed Monday vs. Jackson, and the fight was there tonight. The future of this program is very bright.”
Seniors for Hillsboro are: Gracey Dearmon, Mackenzie Dietrick, KaleyJo Myers, Bre Karnes and Emma Taylor.
“We are losing five kids that I’ve known for an extremely long time, not only through this program, but coming though travel ball and rec ball,” Breeden said. “This is the hardest senior class I’ve had to see go, other than my daughter’s class obviously.
“Gracey battled back and got herself healthy and played her role. Jo Myers behind the plate did a great job for us all year. Bre Karnes, I can’t say enough about her athletes in the outfield. Emma is the one kid every coach loves because she comes in and works. Kenzie Dietrick, you have to love her. She had that devastating injury in soccer and she’s worked hard and is continuing to work hard. Her future is going to be bright next year in college and should be ready to roll.”
The past two seasons for Hillsboro have seen their program become a winning one, as they are 36-10 combined the past two seasons overall, plus they are undefeated in the FAC those two seasons.
“We are trying to build a winning tradition, where the pride is the effort to win, and not just the result,” Breeden said. “Being 36-10 the past two years is a monster improvement, and that shows the dedication the kids have to the program. Catie coached us last year and I took over this year, and it is to the program. It is not just to the individual, but their overall commitment to the program and to leave a legacy.
“This year’s seniors are leaving a legacy of how to win. Our ’22 seniors have shown the way on how to win, what it takes to win. They have set the bar extremely high, and everybody else coming through is going to have to live up to that bar.
“One thing about tonight and Monday night is the community showed phenomenal support for these young ladies,” Breeden continued. “I can’t say how thankful I am to the community to showing these young ladies how much they mean to them.”
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