A year ago, Aliviah Fischer and Reese Hill made some history for the Montgomery County softball team.

They were the Wildcats’ representatives on the Class 2 Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association all-state team, making it the first time in program history that MCHS had two players earn all-state honors in the same year.

Fischer and Hill received all-state notice for their strong all-around play that helped the Wildcats win a school-record 18 games. Both of them hit over .500 and combined for 12 home runs. Fischer made just three errors at third base and Hill picked up 12 wins and struck out 114 batters in the circle.

“It’s great that Reese and I got it together,” Fischer said.

So far, Fischer and Hill are picking up right where they left in 2023. After the first week of the 2024 season, both players are hitting over .500 and have a combined 31 RBIs. Hill has 67 strikeouts, including a 16-strikeout effort against Canton in the championship game of the Monroe City Tournament on Sept. 7.

The duo helped the Wildcats start their season with wins over Hermann and Silex and their second straight championship in the Monroe City tournament.

“We’re definitely coming together as a team a lot,” said Hill, who is a sophomore. “Our defense has been performing really well and we’ve been hitting a lot. The girls who usually don’t hit have been putting together a lot of hits. We’ve been getting people around better.”

The Wildcats outscored their opponents 28-8 in the Monroe City tournament. They defeated Canton 6-2 in the finals. Hill went 5-for-11 with a home run and two RBIs at the plate and two wins in the circle and Fischer went 4-for-9 with six RBIs.

“We hit really well,’ Hill said. “We put together a lot of hits to make us be able to do that.”

Last year, Fischer joined a group of MCHS all-state players that included Brooklynn Fischer (2021), Anna Ford (2016) and Beth Johnson (2001). Brooklynn is Aliviah’s older sister and is now playing softball at Missouri Baptist University.

Aliviah, who plans to continue her softball career at MBU next year, played all 26 games and hit .535 with six home runs, 37 RBIs, 34 runs scored ad a .953 slugging percentage. She hit safely in her first eight games and didn’t commit an error for 21 straight contests.

Fischer earned first-team all-state infielder honors, becoming the fourth MCHS player to accomplish that feat.

“It’s great for people to recognize you when you put in a lot of work behind the scenes and a lot of work that nobody sees,” Fischer said. “So it’s great when you get recognized for that and whenever someone comes up to you and congratulate you for that.”

This year, Fischer is the only senior on the MCHS roster. She said she believes her team will continue being successful after she graduates in May.

“I think it’s really getting built up,” Fischer said. “We have a lot of underclassmen who are really good. We have a lot of middle schoolers who are coming up and playing travel ball. I think it’s great that there are a lot of softball players who are coming up.”

Hill was named second-team at-large player after hitting .527 with six home runs, 36 RBIs, 12 doubles and .923 slugging percentage. She ended her freshman season with a 19-game hitting streak. She finished 12-7 with 114 strikeouts.

Hill was one of six freshmen named to the 2023 all-state team.

“It’s definitely exciting to see your name on the list,” Hill said.

Fischer and Hill also were named to the all-Eastern Missouri Conference, all-district and all-region teams last fall.