The next chapter of the Lone Tree and Hillcrest Academy sports story is tonight in Kalona when the Ravens entertain the visiting Lions in a Southeast Iowa Superconference baseball/softball doubleheader. The Hillcrest baseball team is 0-1 on the year after a 12-5 loss Tuesday at Highland. Seth Ours led the way for the Ravens in Riverside with three doubles and two RBI. Luke Schrock took the loss on the hill for Hillcrest, working four innings, allowing 14 hits, 11 runs, walking two and striking out three. Lone Tree is 1-1 on the year, opening the season Monday with a 10-4 win over Winfield-Mt. Union and dropping a Thursday contest to Highland 5-4. The Lions are hitting .185 as a team. Cade Shield and Will Kleckner each have two hits. Shield has driven in four and Adam Knock has three runs. The Lions team ERA is at 2.00 with Joe Boxwell working three innings, allowing one hit, one earned run, walking three and striking out four. Gavin Pourroy has the Lions pitching win. The Ravens have won 15 of the last 23 played in this series including three in a row and sweeping the two contests last year 16-10 and 12-5.

The Raven girls are 0-2 this year after losses to Highland and Columbus by a combined 22-3 earlier this week. Hillcrest was 0-23 a year ago, hitting .269 as a team. Hillcrest lost top bat Madeline Fox from last year’s team but do return their next four hitters by the numbers including Evelyn Gerber with her .400 average. Esther Hughes was second on the team with 20 hits a year ago as a junior and Malia Yoder returns after leading the team with 11 RBI. The Ravens return all of their pitching from last year with Leah Bontrager and Malia Yoder combining for a 10.96 ERA, allowing 190 earned runs and striking out 65. Lone Tree is also winless on the season. Dropping contests to Highland, Columbus and Winfield-Mt. Union by a combined 33-12 score. The Lady Lions are hitting .321 as a team, led by Arlie Lorack at .571 with four hits and three RBI. She and Ellen Carow have each scored two runs. Lone Tree’s team ERA is 7.88 with Lorack and Kinely Hayes working 11 innings. Lorack has a 3.32 ERA, allowing 10 hits, six runs, walking one and striking out 10 in six frames. Lone Tree has won 23 of the last 30 matchups between the two schools including six straight, taking both contests in 2021 by 11-10 and 12-0 scores.

You can hear all of the baseball action live tonight on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Washington HyVee Pregame Show at 6:30 and the Heritage Area Agency on Aging first pitch at 7p.m. in Kalona.