Hillcrest holds off Idaho Falls 7-6 to remain in conference title chase

IDAHO FALLS – Everyone in the 5A District 6 conference is chasing defending state champion Bonneville.

That’s not much of a surprise.

But there’s one team in the competitive conference that might be considered a surprise challenger just based on past history.

Hillcrest has compiled a 13-32 record over the past three conference seasons and hadn’t won more that five conference games during that stretch.

But there the Knights were on Thursday, taking an early lead over Idaho Falls and then holding off the Tigers amid the snow flurries for a 7-6 victory.

The win improved Hillcrest’s conference record to 5-1, just a half game behind Bonneville.

As has been the theme this season, the Knights’ offense came through, scoring six runs over the first three innings, highlighted by a two-run homer by Cole Croft in the first.

Hillcrest (14-4-2) is averaging nearly 11 runs per game, the most in the state in 5A.

Is that enough to make a deep postseason run?

“We’re firing on all cylinders,” coach Nick Reichelt said. “We’re scoring lots of runs which takes a lot of the stress off the defense and pitching. We’re working on the pitching and defense … we want to make sure we’re throwing strikes and really attacking the zone, but our offense is giving us great chances.”

That was the case Thursday as Croft’s homer set the tone early.

Idaho Falls (9-9-1, 3-4) tied the game at 4-4 with three runs in the third, with Nelson Kunz belting a run-scoring double to left to knot the game.

Henry Smith put the Knights up with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning, and Hillcrest added another run in the inning.

Smith came through with an RBI double in the fourth to put Hillcrest up 7-4, but the Tiger made it interesting with two runs in the sixth to pull within a run.

But Hillcrest finished off the game with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

“I think we mesh very well together,” Smith said of the team’s emergence and group of upperclassmen.

“We have one of the most competitive conferences in the state so it’s hard to go win games,” Smith added. “This year we’re really figuring it out and competing with everybody.”

Oaklen Lawrence also finished with two RBIs and pitched a scoreless seventh for Hillcrest.

Hudson Palmer hit two doubles and finished with a run and RBI for Idaho Falls.

The two teams meet again Friday.