Chloe Roberts ‘grand’ on senior night as Hillsboro defeats McClain 

HILLSBORO — Hillsboro has one senior for the 2026 season, and for Chloe Roberts, it was a game where she was grand, as the senior hit a grand slam home run that pushed the Lady Indians ahead for good against their Highland County and conference foe, the McClain Lady Tigers, by a 10-7 score Wednesday at HHS. 

The Lady Tigers were in front by a 5-4 score going to the bottom of the fifth inning, but that changed as Paisley Zink hit the ball to centerfield for a single, followed by a two-out hit by pitch to Leah Vance, and the bases were loaded when Rilynn Swisshelm walked on a full-count. 

That sequence set up a senior day opportunity for Roberts, as the lone senior for Hillsboro watched ball one, then a called strike one for a 1-1 count. Then came ball two, and on a 2-1 count Roberts sent the ensuing pitch over the centerfield fence for a grand slam, as the four runs scored by Hillsboro pushed them in front by an 8-5 score. 

Roberts ended the game at 3-for-4 with two runs, four RBI, one walk, two doubles and the home run. 

“Senior night for Chloe is special. I mean, not too many times you come up on senior night with bases loaded and get to hit a grand slam,” HHS head coach Gary Breeden said of Roberts’ senior night game. “This week has been really good, team ball. I can't be any more happy with the girls. They've trusted the process all year. We've had our downs, and now they're starting to see the benefits of that process, and now they're seeing the upside to it. 

“This week, it's not where we want to be in the league, but finishing fourth in the league. We’ll keep building on that. We’ve got to get ready for the tournament run.”

There was no shortage of home runs in the game as Hillsboro’s Paisley Zink hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second. Actually, she crushed the ball over the right field fence and became the first player to hit a homer off the scoreboard for HHS in the three-year history of the field at HHS. Zink’s home run brought home Raeden Workman, as HHS at the time took a 3-0 lead. Zink ended the day at 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBI, a home run and a HBP. 

“That's the first time since that scoreboard’s been up it's been hit. With all the power hitters we've had in the past, it's surprising,” Breeden said. 

Hillsboro’s first run of the game was off an error in right field that scored Roberts in the bottom of the first inning. 

As HHS built a 4-0 lead, McClain tied the score at 4-4 with a home run by Amaya Ryan in the top of the fourth inning, followed in the same inning with Kambriah Tomlin scoring a run on a passed ball. Then, it was a one-out double by Brie Cummins that plated teammates Kyndee Williams and Brylee Douglas for the 4-4 score. 

McClain took a 5-4 lead when Tomlin hit the ball to centerfield, plating Leah Lovett, who walked to start the top of the fifth inning. 

Following the aforementioned grand slam and ensuing four runs by Roberts for the 8-5 lead by HHS, McClain made it a one-run game with Leah Lovett hitting a single to right field, scoring Kalleigh Freeze, then Olivia Stegbauer scored a run as she stole home for the 8-7 score. 

Hillsboro answered with their final two runs of the game — and the final 10-7 lead — as Emory Zornes scored a run off a single to right field by Raeden Workman (2-for-3, one run, two RBI), followed by Zink scoring a run on a bases-loaded walk forced by Swisshelm. 

Other final totals for HHS were Peyton Spurlock (1-for-4, one steal), Emory Zornes (1-for-4, one run), Swisshelm (one run, one RBI, two walks), Blair Gard (one walk, one HBP), Vance (one run, one HBP, one steal),and Addley Miller (one HBP).

For MHS, they had Tomlin finish 3-for-4, with one run and one RBI. Collecting two hits each were Cummins (2-for-5, a double, two RBI), Emma Posey (2-for-4), Stegbauer (2-for-4, one run, one steal) and Williams (2-for-3, one run, one walk). 

Also for the Lady Tigers, having one hit each were Lovett (1-for-3, one run, one steal, one RBI, one walk), Ryan (1-for-4, one run, a home run, one RBI) and Brylee Douglas (1-for-4, one run). 

Spurlock was the winning pitcher for Hillsboro, pitching all seven innings, with three strikeouts.

The win sends HHS to a final FAC mark of 4-6 for fourth place in the conference this season, as their overall record moves to 5-14 with under two full weeks left in the regular season. McClain ends the FAC season at 3-7 (8-11 overall).

Next for Hillsboro is a non-conference home game on Friday, May 1 against the Clinton-Massie Lady Falcons at 5 p.m. 

“We’ve still got a long way to go, but the improvement, the drive, the energy they bring every day, I can't say enough about it,” Breeden said of the win. 

McClain play next Monday, May 4 at home against the North Adams Lady Green Devils (the SHAC Div. I champions) at 5 p.m. at Daryle Unger Field in Greenfield. 

BOX SCORE
MHS    000 412 0 — 7 
HHS    121 042 x — 10