The Hillcrest Academy Ravens overcame a late deficit to defeat the Highland Huskies 8-4 last night in the Class 1A District 9 baseball semifinals.

Each team scored twice in the first inning, with Hillcrest collecting three straight hits to start the game and scoring twice in the top half but committing three errors that led to two Highland runs in the bottom of the first.

The game stayed tied until the Huskies struck for two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but the Ravens responded by scoring twice in the next half-inning to even the score again, and they would come up with four runs in the top of the seventh to seize the lead before closing out the game in the bottom half.

Rowan Miller pitched the final two innings for Hillcrest and racked up five strikeouts to go with no hits allowed. The junior also hit two doubles, scored a run and had one run batted in from the lead-off spot in the lineup.

Junior Lincoln Milller and seniors Seth Ours and Mason Bender added two hits and one RBI each, while seniors Liam Schrock, Mason Helmuth and Phoenix Anderson each scored a run to go with a base hit.

Sophomore Rylan Good scored twice and had one hit for the Ravens, who improve to 15-7 with the victory. After the game, head coach Danny Hershberger told KCII Sports that his whole lineup contributed to a comeback win.

“The guys did a great job of battling and sticking with it,” Hershberger said. “To see up be able to get a couple [of runs] there in the sixth [inning] to tie the game back up, and then have some really good at-bats against a good pitcher there in the seventh, was huge for us. It was really fun to watch our guys string together those hits there late.”

Meanwhile, Highland got a base hit, two runs scored and one run batted in from senior Ryker Miller at the plate, while junior pitcher Bryce Hazelett allowed just three earned runs over the first six innings on the mound.

Unfortunately, it was not enough to keep the Huskies from ending the season with a record of 12-10. Highland will be losing six seniors next year, including Miller, William Dunbar, Landon Bell, Logan McFarland, Colten Sypherd and Sage Hartley-Norman.

Meanwhile, Hillcrest Academy advances to the next round of the substate playoffs, as they will play in the 1A District 9 championship game Saturday night against the Sigourney Savages.