Staff writer
The Hillsboro High School softball team finished the regular season 18-2 on a five-game winning streak after sweeping Lyons on Tuesday.
The first game was a defensive battle, where neither pitcher had much room for error.
Hillsboro struck first, scoring its first run in the first inning. Pitcher Julie Sinclair would carry a shutout until the final inning.
The Trojans scored again in the third inning, taking a 2-0 lead when Madison Klein hit an RBI single that the shortstop could not handle in time.
Both defenses kept runners off the bases afterward, recording no hits until the sixth inning. In the bottom of the inning, Klein singled, followed by a single from Bradli Nowak.
Emily Jost then hit a double, which drove in a score for a 3-0 lead. Lyons scored on a pair of doubles in the seventh inning, but could not rally enough to tie the game. The Trojans won 3-1.
Both teams hit better in the second game, but Hillsboro came out on top 9-3.
Halstead
The Trojans swept Halstead Friday, not allowing a run on the day.
In the first game, Danae Bina and Allison Weber hit triples, while Weber only gave up one hit as pitcher. She threw 12 strikeouts, helping Hillsboro win 5-0.
Sinclair pitched the second game, also allowing one hit and striking out 11. Nowak and Sinclair hit doubles in the game, and Klein hit a triple. Bina hit a home run as the Trojans defeated Halstead 14-0.
Hillsboro begins regional play on Monday.