Rarest of feats: 44 years ago West Greene’s Hildreth hit for home run cycle
Lori Wise Hildreth holds the four softballs she hit for home runs in a game for West Greene against Carmichaels in 1979. She hit for the rare home run cycle — solo homer, two-run shot, three-run home run and grand slam — in the game.
This scorebook sheet from a softball game played on May 22, 1979, shows how West Greene sophomore Lorie Wise hit for an extremely rare home run cycle with a two-run homer in the first inning, a grand slam in the third inning, a solo home run in the fifth inning and a three-run homer in the seventh inning. She ended up with 10 RBIs in the game.
Few have accomplished so much in a softball game as Lorie Wise Hildreth and received such little fanfare or attention.
Nearly 44 years ago, Hildreth (then Lorie Wise) belted four home runs in a game that her West Greene High School girls team lost to Carmichaels, 15-10.
Hildreth was no loser that day (May 22, 1979), however. Four home runs in a baseball or softball game is a special accomplishment.
Hildreth’s performance easily exceeded special. She hit for the home run cycle.
It is totally uncommon.
The concept of a cycle is familiar to most fans, although the feat is not common: a player collects a single, double, triple and home run in the same game.
A home run cycle? That is four home runs — including a solo homer, two-run home run, three-run homer and a grand slam. Those four home runs result in 10 runs batted in.
Last year, Chandler Redmond of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Springfield Class AA affiliate completed only the second home run cycle in minor league baseball history.
Tyrone Horne, another Cardinals farmhand, did it in 1998.
The feat has never been done in the major leagues.
The last time it happened in an NCAA Division I softball game was 2019.
Arkansas’ Danielle Gibson pulled off the trick in a win over SIU-Edwardsville. She accomplished it in four innings. Gibson’s home run cycle was only the second accounted for in D-I history.
Discovering history
While both coaches remembered Hildreth’s barrage, it really wasn’t played up in local newspapers or discussed much in Greene County or anywhere else.
That’s until the Pioneers athletic director and highly successful softball coach Billy Simms uncovered it during a conversation with Hildreth, who is a secretary at the school.
Hildreth, who was an assistant to Simms through a portion of his tenure at West Greene, had told him, more than once, that she hit four home runs in one game.
However, it wasn’t until earlier this year that Hildreth explained she still had all four home run balls and the scoresheet from the game.
When Simms looked at the scorebook, he realized Hildreth smashed all four types of home runs.
“Do you know what you accomplished?” Simms gushed to Hildreth, who admits she had no idea what Simms was asking.
“I had no idea what he was yelling about or was so excited about,” Hildreth said. “I didn’t know the day I did it or when he started telling me what a home run cycle is.”
It is rare. Google estimated that someone is more likely to hit the Powerball five times than to hit for the home run cycle.
Yet, Hildreth’s feat has lived with barely anyone, anywhere knowing about it.
Nowhere in a recap of the game in a local newspaper did it mention the home run cycle. The fact is the name home run cycle might not have been in anyone’s vocabulary then. All four of the home runs were written about individually, but there was no mention Hildreth hit one of each type of home run a batter can hit.
It is the only known such achievement in Washington-Greene County, and possibly in WPIAL history.
This is a performance currently that would be splashed all over social media and mentioned on major news channels.
Hildreth’s big day has lived in anonymity until now.
“At the time, I didn’t know anything about a home run cycle. It wasn’t really written about and was not even mentioned in our yearbook,” Hildreth said.
“I never heard of a home run cycle until Billy started talking about it. All I ever knew was I hit four home runs in that game. I never realized I accomplished such a rare feat. Until now, it was just one of those things.
“I know I missed out on some hype and all,” she continued. “I’m excited now. I feel good about accomplishing something quite rare in a sport I have truly loved.”
Hildreth’s iconic game and accomplishment brought an end to the Pioneers’ 1979 season.
Carmichaels moved on to the WPIAL playoffs.
Her performance impacted Mikes’ coach John Krajnak.
“It was a smaller field (formerly across the road from West Greene High School) but you had to jack it to get it out,” Krajnak said. “Lorie was a really good kid and player.
“As it is, it was quite an event. I don’t think any of us realized the magnitude of what she had done. Then it just went away. I got all kind of wrapped up in us winning the game. Lorie was a nice athlete and dedicated player.
“I still remember well what she did and how really impressive it was.”
Her coach, Bill Devore, praised Hildreth’s performance and said he never saw a show of power in one game like the one his standout sophomore put on that day.
“She could hit,” Devore said. “Lorie was a dedicated softball player, a fine athlete. She kept us in that game with her bat.”
“Lorie has made a mark on West Greene softball for a long time as a player, coach and a fan,” Simms said. “She always talked about hitting four home runs in a game. She was a good player.
“She brought the four balls into school one day and the article. As I read through and saw the scoresheet, I just got excited. She was proud of those four balls. She didn’t know about her greatest accomplishment that day. I was going crazy when I realized she had hit a home run cycle.
“It was absolutely the talk of our administration for a week. I went to every person and tried to pump her up and this incredible story. Lorie is a tireless and hard worker for our district.”
Teammates rejoice
Becci Watson said Hildreth hitting home runs was not uncommon. She is amazed, however, when thinking about hitting four home runs, four different ways.
“Lorie just stroked them right out,” Watson said. “She swung the bat like normal. There was no extra effort. The balls just flew. I’m not sure how long they were, but they were legitimate home runs.
“She was a hell of a pitcher, too. Lorie made it look easy. She just swung the bat and they went out. It was shocking in a way to see four home runs in a game. Even with that, we really didn’t know what we witnessed that day until now. Lorie didn’t receive the credit or recognition she should have.
“She didn’t receive attention from the press. Maybe we had a party at school because she hit four home runs. I know as players we very proud of her and now knowing of her achievement makes it even more special. It is so rare.”
“Back then, girls sports didn’t receive as much attention,” said teammate Debbie Yoders Jones. “Lorie pitched and I caught. She deserves the accolades and congratulations.”
Shelly Richardson is a teacher in the district, and while she doesn’t recall specifics of the day, she remembers Hildreth’s talent.
“I do recollect Lorie always getting it done at the plate and just her calm demeanor,” Richardson said. “She had talent and skill.
“She is just the type of player if the other team was talking smack or chattering, it didn’t matter to her. She would just let her actions speak. She’d come up with what we needed whether it was hitting or pitching. She’s modest about it all. She was a player who had class and talent and she refined her skill.”
Dixie Smith added, “It’s a shame she didn’t receive the recognition back then that her accomplishment warranted. The media or public wasn’t then what it is today.”
A softball life
Hildreth, 60, said her love of softball started when she was young.
After all these years, she is excited her performance back in 1979 is receiving attention now.
“When I found out about a home run cycle from Billy, I had to let it soak in,” Hildreth said. “I started wondering how a girl from New Freeport (part of the West Greene School District) could have done this.
“Softball was my life growing up. I truly love the sport. I feel bad we all missed out on that excitement. I had no idea. I won a lot of trophies along the way. They named me Most Valuable Player my senior year. I coached with Billy for 11 seasons. I have so many good memories. But nothing comes close to finding out about this.”
Hildreth, who lost her husband to cancer in 2015, has two children and two grandchildren.
The family has much to talk about.
“I have the four balls, the sheet from the scorebook and Billy made a shadow box and gave it to me earlier in the year,” Hildreth said. “Every one of those home runs went to left-centerfield.
“I guess this has been a long time coming. Who knew?”
Hopefully, many more now.