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Hillsboro sweeps softball regular-season series against Jackson

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Hillsboro's Meredith Dietrick slides into home to score a run for the Lady Indians against Jackson. (HCP Photos/Stephen Forsha)
By
Stephen Forsha, The Highland County Press

For two straight days, the Hillsboro Lady Indians and Jackson Ironladies battled on the softball diamond for the top spot in the Frontier Athletic Conference. One game ended in extra innings, while the other was a nine-run victory in a downpour on a cold evening. Once all the dust settled and the rain stopped, it was the Lady Indians sweeping the regular-season series against Jackson.

Hillsboro’s two FAC wins improve their conference winning streak to 44 consecutive games, and their 2025 overall record now stands at 7-1 overall with a FAC record of 4-0.

On Tuesday (April 8), the Lady Indians won in dramatic fashion as they went eight innings against the Ironladies. It was an Addley Miller triple in the top of the eighth inning that brought home two runs, breaking a 7-7 tied score for a 9-7 lead as Camryn Spruell and Chloe Roberts rounded the bases for the two runs.

From there, the Lady Indians took a 10-7 lead with a Leah Vance sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Miller. In the bottom of the eighth, HHS allowed a run to cross home plate but ended the game with a groundout by the Ironladies to seal the coveted FAC win.

Before the runs scored in the eighth inning, the Lady Indians led 2-0 after the first inning with a two-run top of the first. Next, Jackson scored a run in the bottom of the fourth for a 2-1 score, but HHS responded with three runs in the top of the fifth for a 5-1 advantage.

HHS then added two runs in the top of the sixth, only to see Jackson score three runs in the sixth, then they added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.

In all for Hillsboro, they totaled 11 hits and had one error, while Jackson collected 10 hits and committed four errors.

Isabelle Brunck led HHS with a 3-for-4 game at the plate, finishing with a home run, one run and three RBI.

Chloe Roberts was 2-for-5 with a triple, one run, two RBI and one of her hits was a triple.

Reagan Clemons finished 2-for-5 with a steal. Mylea Fridley went 1-for-4 with two runs and a walk, and Spruell was 1-for-1 with four runs, two RBI and four walks, as she reached base five times in the game. Her lone hit was a home run.

Miller went 1-for-5 with a triple, two runs and three RBI. Addie Huff ended the day at 1-for-5. Meredith Dietrick and Madison Dearmon were both hit by a pitch.

Spruell in the circle gained the win as she pitched all eight innings, where she allowed eight runs (five earned) on 10 hits, four wild pitches and six walks with nine strikeouts. She finished the game with 154 pitches, 97 for strikes.

BOX SCORE
HHS    200 032 03 — 10 11 1
JHS    000 103 31 — 8 10 4

Then came Wednesday (April 9), where it was a wild game with the skies opening up with rain for a majority of time on the turf field of Hillsboro, and after five innings, the Lady Indians were the winners by a 15-6 score.

The wet conditions forced a combined 11 errors by the two FAC standout teams, with Jackson having four and Hillsboro with seven.

Even the first inning was wild, as the rain affected the play of the game between the two usually sound fielding teams. HHS trailed Jackson 3-0 after the top of the first, only to score five runs of their own in the bottom of the first for a 5-3 lead.

From there, HHS added three runs in the bottom of the second for a 8-3 lead. In the top of the third, Jackson scored one run, only to see HHS add two runs to their side of the scoreboard for a 10-4 advantage.

Also in the top of the third, the first out of the inning recorded came via a spectacular diving catch by Addie Huff.

Next came HHS scoring two more runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 12-4 lead. In the fifth inning, Jackson scored twice, and HHS came back with a three-run bottom part of the inning for what became the 15-6 win as the game was called due to the weather.

Hillsboro (4-0, 7-1) finished the game with 11 hits, while Jackson had four hits.

Leadoff batter Mylea Fridley ended the day at 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI, and teammate Isabelle Brunck was 3-for-4 with a triple, three runs and two RBI.

Meredith Dietrick was 2-for-3 hit two runs, two RBI and a walk. Addie Huff went 2-for-3 with two runs.

Camryn Spruell finished the game at 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI and a walk.

The Lady Indians also had Chloe Roberts with a walk and Addley Miller with two runs, one RBI and a walk. Reagan Clemons collected an RBI, and Rilynn Swisshelm scored a run as a courtesy runner.

Madison Dearmon and Miller were each hit by a pitch.

Spruell was the winning pitcher, finishing the game with five innings pitched, while allowing six runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks, with six strikeouts. She finished with 88 pitches, 48 for strikes.

BOX SCORE
JHS
    301 02x x — 6 4 4
HHS    532 23x x — 15 11 7

image-20250410022218-1
Hillsboro's Isabelle Brunck had six hits against Jackson.

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