The Lone Tree softball team made quick work of conference rival Hillcrest Academy Friday night in a 11-1 final for their ninth-straight victory after just four innings in a special edition of the KCII Area Game of the Week heard live on KCII.

Hillcrest would score the game’s first run when senior Delaney Shaw came across on an RBI single from eighth-grader Ella Mize. When Mize was caught stealing second base moments later, Lone Tree would make the Ravens pay even more, plating their first five runs in the bottom half on a wild pitch from Hillcrest pitcher Malia Yoder and a pair of two-RBI doubles from Abby Zaruba and Kayleigh Rundlett. Lone Tree would extend their lead by one run in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from Alex Dautremont to make the contest 6-1. The Ravens were again held scoreless by a flawless Lone Tree defense in the third, falling victim to a Lion three-spot in the bottom half to see the lead grow once again. After Hillcrest was held without a run for the third consecutive inning in the fourth, the Lady Lions would end the game via the mercy rule in the bottom half when senior Cate Sexton poked a ground ball to left field to plate teammate Rundlett and end the night early.

Unofficially, Lone Tree took the contest with 11 runs on 11 hits and no errors. Hillcrest had one run on three hits and two errors. Rundlett led the way for the Lady Lions, going 3/3 with a single, two doubles, three runs batted in and two runs scored, earning Washington County Hospital and Clinics Player of the Game honors. Dautremont picked up the win in the circle, tossing all four innings and allowing the Ravens’ lone earned run on all three hits, doled out one walk and spun four punchouts. The senior joined KCII Sports postgame to go over her hitting performance.

“I was definitely thinking just get something to the outfield, hard contact,” Dautremont said. “We knew Malia [Yoder] was going to throw a lot of strikes to us, so we really have got to attack when we’re ahead. I’ve been trying to hit more line drive ground balls, and that’s really been working for me lately.”

Hillcrest was led by Mize with her RBI single in the first frame. Yoder took the loss in the circle, going three-and-two-thirds innings, allowing all 11 Lone Tree runs, nine earned, on all 11 of their hits, with a pair of walks and Ks.

With the win, the Lady Lions improve to 15-6 overall and move to 9-4 in the Superconference North ahead of a Monday matchup with the New London/Winfield-Mt. Union Tigers. Hillcrest drops to 10-13 overall before a Monday game on the road against Class 3A opponent West Burlington-Notre Dame. The Area Game of the Week makes a return to the baseball diamond Monday, following Hillcrest Academy to West Burlington for their matchup with the Falcons. Pregame is slated for 5 p.m. on the KCII3 Stream.