The Hillcrest softball team took another step forward on Tuesday with a 12-0 win over Danville. 

Leah Bontrager allowed no hits or walks and struck out five during the program’s first shutout victory since 2013. Only an error kept the Ravens’ senior pitcher from a three-inning perfect game. 

“It feels really good to be on the other side of it,” Bontrager said about the blowout. “But also, we know how they’re feeling. Our defense was really on that night, and everyone was doing good.”

Senior Esther Hughes was 3-for-3 and scored all three times she reached base as well. The Ravens hit 10-of-18 and got on base at a 62 percent clip. 

“We were all hitting and everyone was seeing the ball well,” Hughes said. “You hit a ball and it does boost confidence throughout the whole team. Everyone is affected.”

Delaney Shaw was 2-for-2 with a double and a team-high three RBIs in the win. Norah Yoder was also 2-for-2 with a double and drove in a pair of runs. 

Bontrager doubled and finished with two RBIs, and Grace Miller had a pair of RBIs as well. 

Malia Yoder and Morgyn Nafziger each had a hit and an RBI in the win. 

The Ravens, who had lost the previous six meetings with Danville, made it two in a row over the Bears with a 13-3 win in the consolation game of the Raven Classic. 

Hillcrest was edged by English Valleys 6-5 in the first game of the tournament before defeating Danville to finish third. 

Malia Yoder was 5-for-5 in the win. She stole four bases and scored three runs as the Ravens (4-10) won their fourth game of the year — the most wins in a season for the program since 2017.

Kylee Statler was 2-for-4 with four RBIs, while Miller was 2-for-4 and drove in three runs. Bontrager had two hits and a walk with an RBI. She reached base in all five plate appearances. Norah Yoder had a hit and an RBI and Evelyn Gerber reached base three times. 

Raven eighth grader Adrianne Blauvelt had her first career hit in the win. 

The Ravens scored four runs in the second inning to take a 5-1 lead over English Valleys (10-7) in the first game. But the Bears turned to sophomore Kennedy Axmear, who did not allow a hit or a walk over the final five innings while striking out eight. The Ravens led 5-4 in the seventh, but hit the leadoff batter and a pair of two-out singles gave English Valleys a walk-off victory. 

Hughes and Miller each had two hits and an RBI in the loss. Lydia Beachy had a hit and scored a run during the Ravens’ four-run second. 

Central Lee 13, Hillcrest 1

Grace Miller had a hit and drove in the only run for the Ravens in a 13-1 loss to Central Lee (13-4). Esther Hughes singled and scored the run for Hillcrest. Malia Yoder also had a hit in the loss.