Trailing 7-1 on the road to Gates Chili in the first round of the Class AA Section V softball playoffs, Hilton rallied for five runs in the sixth inning, but fell short in a 7-6 loss ending their campaign.
Gates Chili took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Cadets quickly tied the game 1-1 in their half of the second. Freshman catcher MacKenzie Pearson stroked a one-out single down the left field line and junior Alivia Ruta followed with a single down the right field line putting runners at first and third.
Ruta then intentionally got into a rundown on a delayed steal allowing Pearson to cross the plate.
Gates Chili scored three runs in the bottom of the second and added three more in the fourth to take a 7-1 lead, but the Cadets would not go quietly.
Third baseman Brooke Schmidt reached on a walk to begin the sixth inning rally and reached second on a fielder’s choice and third on a wild pitch. Freshman left fielder Annalise Smith then hit a triple to score Schmidt and left for a pinch runner when hurt on the slide into third.
Senior shortstop Alyssa Juergens stroked an RBI double off the center field wall and scored on Pearson’s two-run home run over the left-center field wall.
Ruta and junior Hannah Pearson both reached on errors putting runners at first and third and senior second baseman Siena Saluzzo plated Ruta with an RBI bloop single to center to cut the Spartans lead to 7-6.
The Cadets did get the tying run on base in the seventh inning when Juergens reached on a two-out walk, but the game and season ended on a fly-out to center field.
Juergens, Saluzzo and Kayla Nellis all completed their high school athletic careers.
