Photo Courtesy of Columbus Softball Social Media

The Columbus Wildcat and Hillcrest Academy softball teams met for a back-and-forth battle Thursday in CJ that saw the ‘Cats come out on top 14-12 in eight. The Wildcats went on top with four runs in the first and Hillcrest answered with five in the second to go up 5-4. The Wildcats tied it at five in the third, and in the fourth, the Ravens catapulted back on top 9-5. Columbus chipped away with one in the bottom of four, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to knot things at nine. Hillcrest seemed to retake control with three in the seventh, and was three outs away from clinching the key road win, but the Wildcat’s matched it with three of their own in the bottom half to force extra softball. After a scoreless Raven eighth, Columbus walked it off in the home half.

The Wildcats out hit the Ravens 14-10 in the win. The Ravens walked 10 ten times, the Wildcats six. Columbus was led by Ellie Sanders and Jessica Del Rio who combined for six hits, four runs and two RBI. Daniela Diaz, Lily Coil and Jacqueline Farrier each had two hits, Farrier drove in three, Coil two and Diaz scored four times. Kennedy Woepking was the winning pitcher, throwing three innings with two runs, four walks and five strikeouts. Raven leaders at the plate were Kylee Statler and Malia Yoder with two hits each. Yoder drove in three. Delaney Shaw, Marryn Boshart and Ella Mize each knocked in two. Stavia Miller scored three times. Yoder took the loss in the circle, working seven and a third with 12 hits, five earned runs, six walks and eight strikeouts. Columbus was 5-2 after the win and Hillcrest 2-3.