Softball: Div. IV Regional Semifinal Preview: Hillsboro set to face McConnelsville Morgan 

For the first time in 23 years, the Hillsboro Lady Indians softball program returns to regional play, and for the first time ever, the McConnelsville Morgan Lady Lady Raiders will be playing in a regional game.

The two district champions, Hillsboro of the Southeast District and McConnelsville of the East District, will now be playing in the Division IV Regional Semifinals on Tuesday, May 27 at Ohio University at 5 p.m. (The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday, May 28 at the Philo Softball Field.)

Hillsboro enters the game being the No. 1 seed in the Southeast District with an overall record of 20-3 as they were the five-time defending champions of the Frontier Athletic Conference, going undefeated in the FAC at 10-0 this season, and they have won their past 50 consecutive conference games. HHS this postseason has defeated Circleville (5-0) in the district finals, along with a 6-2 win over Vinton County in the district semifinals. 

Morgan enters the regional semifinal game with 21 games played, having an overall record of 12-9, and they were 6-9 in the Muskingum Valley Conference. This season, Morgan has scored 148 runs and has allowed 106 runs. 

In the postseason, Morgan won their East District championship with wins over Carrollton (13-3), John Glenn by a 20-11 score and Indian Valley by a 2-0 score.  

In a look at some of their top players, junior Myka Augenstein enters the game with a team-best  .473 batting average with an on-base percentage of .524, plus she has a team-high 35 hits (7 doubles, 4 triples, 1 HR), 29 RBI, and 16 runs. 

Morgan also has Chloe Baker, who in 21 games this season is batting .443 her junior season. She has a team-high 29 runs, 35 hits (8 doubles, one triple), 14 RBI and OBP of .471. 

Sophomore Allia Rush in 21 games is batting .355 with 18 runs, 26 RBI and a team-high eight home runs. She’s totaled 27 total hits (three doubles), and her OBP is .402. 

In the circle, Morgan’s leading pitcher is Rush, who is 7-4 with 102 strikeouts, 45 earned runs and an ERA of 3.54 in 16 appearances and 89 innings pitched. 

Also pitching in 10 games this season for the Lady Raiders is sophomore Laney Kangas, who is 4-5 with an ERA of 4.23 in 41.1 innings pitched. She’s collected 34 strikeouts and allowed 25 earned runs.

Looking at Hillsboro’s numbers this season, senior Camryn Spruell in 23 games leads HHS in batting average at .463 (67 at-bats) and OBP at .580. She’s also the team leader in OPS (1.550), slugging percentage (.970), hits (31), doubles (5), triples (four), home runs (7), RBI (33), runs (34) and walks (19). Spruell has struck out just two times in ’25. 

Spruell has pitched 143 innings this season in 23 games, facing 560 batters, where she’s 20-3 overall. Spruell has allowed just 21 earned runs this season with 309 strikeouts and a 1.028 ERA.

Chloe Roberts, a senior, in 23 games is batting .446 in 65 at-bats with a .553 OBP, a 1.399 OPS, .846 SLG, 29 hits, five doubles, three triples, five home runs, 27 RBI, 26 runs, 15 walks, two sacrifice flies, and she’s been hit by a pitch by three times.

HHS has other top batting averages consisting of Isabelle Brunck (.397), Addie Huff (.384), Meredith Dietrick (.351), Addley Miller (.338) and Mylea Fridley (.315), all of whom have played in at least 18 games and have no less than 54 at-bats this season. 

Hillsboro also has four more players with 20 or more hits (not including Spruell and Roberts), and they are Huff (28), Brunck (27), Miller (23) and Dietrick (20). 

There are also six players this season to hit a home run for Hillsboro, with others including Madison Dearmon with three, Reagan Clemons (2), Brunck (1) and Huff (1). 

Eight HHS players have double-digit RBI totals, and they are Spruell (33), Roberts (27), Miller (23), Dearmon (20), Brunck (15), Huff (11), Dietrick (10) and Clemons (10). Clemons also led the Lady Indians by being hit by a pitch six times this season, with Dietrick and Dearmon next with five times. 

The location of the game is the Ohio University Softball Field, 150 S. Shafer Street, Athens, 45701.

The winner of the regional semifinal game between Hillsboro and Morgan will face the winner of Byesville Meadowbrook vs. Circleville Logan Elm on Friday, May 30 at 5 p.m. at the Philo SB Field in Duncan Falls.