The Southeast Iowa Superconference North Division Champion Hillcre st Academy Ravens (12-7, 11-2) continued their hot streak Monday night, routing the West Burlington Falcons (8-10, 3-9) 17-6.

The game looked like a pitchers’ duel in the making early on, as starters Silas Lotzow West Burlington and Rowan Miller for Hillcrest each started the game by shoving three scoreless innings, including three hitless innings for Lotzow. 

In the top of the fourth, though, Hillcrest blew the game open. 

Eight of the Raven’s nine hitters reached base in the inning, as Hillcrest passed the baton from one batter to another. The inning reached its highest point when Miller hit a bases-clearing double to give Hillcrest a 4-0 lead. After a Seth Ours single on the very next pitch and a pickoff that scored him before the Falcons were able to catch Mason Bender in a rundown, the Ravens led by half a dozen. 

The downpour continued in the fifth, as four walks and a dropped third strike led Bender back to the plate with the bases loaded once again. Relief pitcher Brock Thuleen, who had been struggling to find the zone, was replaced by Prior Bowen. Bender didn’t hesitate to welcome Bowen to the mound, launching the first ball he swung at over the left-field fence for a grand slam and a 13-0 lead.

Hillcrest struggled to close the game from there, though, surrendering four runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to allow West Burlington to stay in the game and avoid the ten-run mercy rule. In the top of the seventh, though, the Ravens found their dagger.

Liam Schrock led off the inning with a ringing double to right-center field, bringing Mason Helmuth to the plate. Helmuth slammed the first pitch he saw to the same spot as Bender for the second home run of the night, giving the Ravens a 16-6 lead.

Bender said that he and Helmuth had been working on their hitting together ahead of Monday’s game, “We were out this weekend putting in the work, hitting dingers at home, and it translated to the game.”

They plated one more run on a Rylan Good groundout, and Schrock, who had taken the mound in relief of Miller, closed the door with a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

Prior to Monday’s game, only Schrock had hit a home run for the Ravens in 2025.

Miller earned the win, surrendering four runs, two of which were earned, in five innings of work on four hits, four walks and one error. Lotzow took the loss on six runs, all earned, on two walks and two hits in three-and-two-thirds innings.

Hillcrest will travel to Waterloo tomorrow to play a rescheduled game against Louisa-Muscatine before taking on HLV at Highland in the first round of substate on Saturday.