The 2025 softball season came to a close Wednesday for the Hillcrest Academy Raven softball team in an 11-3 defeat on the road against BGM. Hillcrest snagged an early lead with a single first inning run, but the Bears batted around in the second, scoring seven times, to take a lead they wouldn’t give up the rest of the night. BGM added two more in the third to make it 9-1. Hillcrest had a run each in the fourth and fifth and the Bears matched it with a two spot in the fifth to end the contest early. BGM out hit Hillcrest 10-5and drew four walks to the Ravens one. Delaney Shaw led Hillcrest hitters with two singles and an RBI. Kylee Statler also drove in one on a hit. Morgyn Nafziger and Stavia Miller each had a knock. Claire Withrow, Nafziger and Shaw each scored once. Malia Yoder started in the circle working one plus with three hits, five earned runs and a pair of walks. In relief, Ella Mize went three with seven hits, four earned runs, two walks and a K. Karagyn Minnaert led the Bears with the bat, accounting for three hits, three runs and two knocked in. Cara Arment was the winning pitcher, going all five with five hits, an earned run, walk and strikeout. BGM improves to 18-6 and hosts local school Highland in the 1A Regional Semifinals tonight.

The Ravens end the year at 13-15, their highest win total in 14 years, and second most in school history. Hillcrest says goodbye to seven seniors including Kylee Statler, Malia Yoder, Hailey Chalupa, Morgyn Nafziger, Delaney Shaw, Erin Bontrager, and Lydia Beachy.